


Breathlesss

by SamanthaNovak



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Allergic reaction, Allergies, Dry Humping, First Meeting, Fluff, M/M, Making Out, Minor Genevieve Cortese/Danneel Harris, Minor Misha Collins/Vicki Vantoch, Professor Jensen, Professor Jensen Ackles, paramedic Jared, paramedic Jared Padalecki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 06:44:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19824676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamanthaNovak/pseuds/SamanthaNovak
Summary: Jensen is a lonely English professor with an allergy to nuts. Jared is a paramedic haunted by a college tragedy. When the two meet, they're immediately attracted to one another and form a relationship, navigating through busy schedules, Jared's fears brought on by his past, and meeting each others' friends and family.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's finally here! The reason I have been so AWOL the last several months! My J2 Big Bang entry!
> 
> First, I want to give a huge thank you to my wonderful artist, sillie82! She was so patient for my first year and she made way more than I ever expected! I couldn't even use it all! And it was all amazing! So go check out her art masterpost [here](https://sillie82.livejournal.com/454850.html) for the unused pieces of art she made for this fic and go check out her other work! Honestly, guys, I can't praise this woman enough!
> 
> Second, a huge thanks to my beta - my best friend! She's my beta and my cheerleader, reminding me that she thinks this is a good piece and encouraging me to finish. And she gave me the little push I needed to sign up for the challenge in the first place - I literally never would have done this without her!
> 
> Lastly, this started two years ago as a Sastiel fic, but I'd gotten stuck and had abandoned it. When I was thinking of signing up, I knew I'd need something already started to be able to make the rough draft deadline, and my Sastiel became my J2 entry.
> 
> Posting something huge all at once is way different than chapter-by-chapter, so if I missed tagging something, just let me know!
> 
> The way my username is drawn on the banner is how it appears on LJ where I signed up and post the entry and not how I have it on AO3.
> 
> I think that's everything... So, here it is!
> 
> (As always, I'm not 100% on the title, but there's no changing it now, haha.)

“Hey, Jen, you gonna be ready to go anytime soon? I’m getting hungry and it’s your turn to pay.”

Jensen glanced up from the stack of essays on his desk to see Danneel standing in the doorway to his office, hip propped against the frame and arms crossed. He sighed as he dropped his gaze back down to the pile that seemed to stay the same size no matter how many essays he’d graded already.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Danneel called, pushing off the door and taking a few steps toward his desk, continuing when he looked back up at her. “You’re thinking if you work through your break between classes, you’ll finish that stack there. That may be true, but the point of a _break_ is not to _work_. Besides, summer courses are fewer and smaller. I expect this of you from August to May, but _now?_ ”

Jensen sighed again, knowing Danneel was right as always. “I guess there isn’t as much as I think there is, and I could use the time later to work,” he said, eyeing the stack on his desk as he stood and gathered his keys, wallet, and phone. “Not many students see me in the evening.”

“You’ll _eat_ in that time too, right?” Danneel said, snatching his bag up from the floor by the desk and pushing him from the office, turning off the light and locking the door on her way out. The tone of her voice made it clear it wasn’t really a question so much as it was an order.

Jensen took his bag from her and slung it over his shoulder. “Yes, Mom.”

“Good,” Danneel said with a nod of finality, completely ignoring the jab.

They had almost reached the main entrance to the English department when a female voice called out across the foyer.

“Dr. Ackles!”

Jensen turned to see a young woman jogging toward them, textbooks clutched to her chest. He recognized her as one of the students in his night class and one of the few students that regularly utilized his office hours for help. She must have another course in the afternoon if she was here this early in the day.

“Holly,” he greeted, offering her a small smile. “What can I do for you?”

“I was wondering if I could stop by your office before class tonight. I need help with the short stories we’ve been working on, and I know I didn’t make an appointment, but-” she said, a bit breathless after having run to catch up with him.

“Breathe, Holly,” Jensen said gently with a slight chuckle, waiting until she’d taken a deep breath. “I’m always happy to help. And,” he added, lowering his voice so only she and Danneel could hear, “don’t worry about not having an appointment. That rule doesn’t generally apply to my night office hours because there are so few students here that late that spontaneous visits are not a problem.”

“Great. Awesome,” she huffed, nodding to herself. “Thanks. See you later then!” she called, hurrying off back in the direction she’d come from.

“And you said no one comes to visit you at night,” Danneel teased as they continued their way out of the building.

Jensen groaned and Danneel whined dramatically as they exited the air-conditioned building into the humidity of the July heat. Even a short walk to their favorite little diner just a block from the school would leave them both drenched in sweat by the time they got there. But the diner was their favorite place to go for lunch, and neither could justify taking one of their cars for a short distance when it wouldn’t have time to cool before they got there.

The diner was a casual place that always smelled like burgers and some kind of freshly baked dessert, and the staff knew Jensen and Danneel well, treating them like old friends or family. Being there felt like being home. Or at least what Jensen imagined home could feel like if he had someone there waiting for him.

Instead, he spent his nights at home alone, cooking simple, quick meals and grading assignments. At least once every couple of weeks, Danneel would drag him to a bar with the goal of meeting someone. He wasn’t sure how she tolerated it, but at thirty-one years old, Jensen no longer cared for the loud music and cramped spaces of bars and the impersonal, drunken flirting. Danneel had even tried to sign him up for a dating app or two, but he’d dismissed those. He’d rather meet someone in a more meaningful way.

They stepped into the cool air of the diner and Jensen inhaled deeply, a small smile curling the corners of his mouth as the smell of greasy meat and cinnamon filled his senses. He followed Danneel to their usual table in the front corner near the window and put his bag in the chair beside him as he slipped into his seat.

Jensen always ordered the same thing, so while Danneel picked up her menu, he fiddled with the silver bracelet around his left wrist, smoothing a finger across the familiar engraving on the tag. JENSEN ACKLES. ALGYS: PEANUTS. TREE NUTS. GIVE EPIPEN IN BAG. CALL 911. Under that was his mother’s cellphone number beside the letters “ICE” as his emergency contact just in case he had an allergic reaction while he was out alone. Although that rarely ever happened as he rarely came into contact with his allergens because he was very careful about avoiding them. He felt better having the bracelet there just in case.

“You know,” Danneel said, breaking him from his thoughts again. “I’m sure there are other nut-free foods on this menu. Don’t you get tired of having the same thing?”

“Don’t you?” he countered with a smirk. “We both know you’re getting the same thing you always get.”

Danneel huffed and crossed her arms over the table. “Not the point.”

Before Jensen could further argue with her, a waitress stepped up to the table. She was a teenager who seemed like work was the last place she wanted to be, eyes not bothering to lift any higher than the pad in her hand and popping a wad of gum Jensen suspected she wasn’t really supposed to be chewing. Neither recognized her, so she must have been recently hired.

“Good afternoon. I’ll be your waitress,” she said in a bland tone. “Today, we have a special item not on the menu yet – the chef’s new special tomato sauce over zucchini pasta.”

Jensen glanced at Danneel, the two sharing a thoughtful look. She shrugged, and he turned his attention back to the waitress. “Are there any nuts in the dish?” he asked. “I’m allergic.”

The waitress only popped her gum and finally lifted her eyes to Jensen’s, giving him a scathing look. “It’s _tomato sauce_ ,” she said snidely.

Once again, Jensen and Danneel shared a look, Danneel’s lips twitching in an effort not to smile. After a few seconds of silent communication, Jensen nodded to the waitress.

“I’ll try it,” he said.

Danneel ordered the same thing she always did. As the waitress walked away, Jensen couldn’t help smirking at her.

“You were just making fun of _me_ for always ordering the same thing. Now _I’m_ getting something new, and you aren’t?” he asked with a chuckle.

Danneel just shrugged and quirked one side of her mouth up in a half smile. “What can I say? I stick to my favorites.”

Jensen chuckled and shook his head in amusement then fiddled with the wrapped silverware in front of him as he glanced out the window. People hurried up and down the sidewalks and cars passed by on the street. He caught sight of an elderly couple walking side-by-side. The woman had her arms wrapped around one of her husband’s, his other hand clasped over hers. As they passed by, Jensen saw she was grinning up at her husband. Jensen wanted that. Someone that loved him and who he could love in return. Someone to grow old with and walk down the street arm-in-arm, side-by-side. Someone that would smile at him and make him feel like he was their entire world.

“Jensen!”

Jensen startled and his gaze snapped over to Danneel. “Hm?”

“You’re spacing out on me,” she sighed.

“Sorry, just thinking,” he mumbled lamely.

“Well, stop that. Whatever you were thinking about, you looked about ready to cry,” she huffed.

Before Jensen could defend himself, their waitress returned, placing their plates on the table in front of them.

“Anything else I can do for you?” she asked.

“No, sweetheart,” Danneel said in a saccharine sweet voice laced with sarcasm that made the girl narrow her eyes before turning sharply on her heel and stalking away. “That girl’s not getting a tip.”

Jensen hummed his agreement, but shrugged and tilted his head thoughtfully. “Maybe she’s having a rough day?” he offered, spearing a few pieces of pasta and twirling them in the sauce. He moaned appreciatively at the flavors when he took a bite.

“Still, no excuse for being so rude,” she said. “So, I was thinking-”

“Always a bad sign.” Jensen chuckled then cleared his throat to relieve an itch, reaching for his water.

“Shut up,” Danneel huffed though she couldn’t hide a small smile of amusement. “Anyway, I was thinking... We are sorely overdue for a bar night.”

Jensen took a few sips of water then set his glass back down, grimacing as the irritating itch in his throat persisted. “We went two weeks ago, didn’t we?”

Danneel frowned at him, narrowing her eyes. “Are you okay? You’re starting to flush.”

Jensen coughed again, harder than before, and panted to catch his breath afterward. Each inhale was a struggle and made a wheezing sound. His chest felt tight, and he brought his hand to press against it, aiming a pleading look at his friend.

“Can’t… catch my breath,” he gasped.

Danneel’s eyes widened, quickly putting together his symptoms. _“Shit!”_ she hissed as she lunged across the table to reach for his bag in the corner while Jensen fought to drag in deep enough breaths. “Hang on, Jen, I got it, I got it...” she mumbled, yanking his bag across the table and shoving her hands through the pockets.

Jensen wheezed, and his hand slid up to clutch at his neck though he knew nothing would ease his breathing until Danneel found his EpiPen.

“Excuse me? Is everything alright?”

Danneel jerked her head up to glare at the new woman who stepped up to their table. Her name tag said “Manager” underneath her name.

“Does everything _look_ alright?” Danneel snapped, finally jerking the EpiPen from the bag and dropping to her knees beside Jensen whose breath was coming in more shallow, wheezing pants. His eyes seemed glazed as he watched her. “Call an ambulance. Tell them someone’s having an allergic reaction and that epinephrine has been given. And send the chef out here. I want to know what the fuck was in that food,” she ordered, pulling the pen from its case and holding it in a fist.

In his hazy state, Jensen still marveled at how his usually friendly and polite friend could turn so harsh when she was worried about the ones she cared about. It was one of the things that he loved about her. But there hadn’t been enough things in common for their relationship to work out, and they’d broken it off after a few months, agreeing that they were better friends. And it was true; they’d even managed to bypass the awkward “we used to date” stage.

“Almost got it, Jen,” Danneel murmured, pulling him back into focus. He noticed the manager had disappeared to do as Danneel ordered.

Danneel pulled the blue top off the EpiPen then pressed the orange end to the outer edge of his mid-thigh. The pen clicked, and Jensen twitched as the needle stabbed his thigh. Danneel sighed in relief, holding the pen there for ten seconds. As soon as she pulled it away, she lifted her empty hand to rub the injection site.

“Ambulance is on its way,” the manager said behind her. Danneel didn’t respond.

After a few seconds, Jensen relaxed and dragged in a deep breath, coughing a few times afterward. He tipped his head back and tried to calm his breathing now that his airway was clearing.

“Shaky,” he croaked in a warning tone.

“I know you will be. I’ve got you,” Danneel said sympathetically. “You always are after taking it. You _do_ know epinephrine is _adrenaline_ , right?” she teased lightly as she checked to be sure the orange needle cover was in place then tucked it back in its case to be disposed of later. She pulled out his second EpiPen just in case. Jensen never had a second anaphylactic episode, but he always had the second dose with him and Danneel always had it ready just in case.

He gave her a small smile at her snarky reaction and coughed slightly.

“You asked to see the chef?” a male voice with an Australian accent said. They turned to see a man in a chef’s jacket and a name tag that said “Leo” standing nearby.

“What was in that?” Danneel growled, pointing an accusing finger at Jensen’s pasta.

“Ah, that’s my new recipe,” he said. “It is made with tomatoes, soy sauce, maple syrup, lemon juice, and a few tablespoons of peanut butter.”

“ _Peanut butter?_ ” Danneel snarled. “The hell is peanut butter doing in a tomato sauce?! The waitress said it was _just_ tomato sauce. He’s allergic to peanuts which he very clearly stated to her! This could have been avoided!”

Leo frowned in confusion, shaking his head. “I promise I explained the recipe to everyone for _just_ this reason,” he said, nodding at Jensen.

“Yeah, well, one of your waitresses wasn’t paying attention,” she muttered testily.

Jensen whimpered in discomfort, and Danneel’s eyes jerked back to him, softening when she saw the trembling begin.

“It’s okay, Jen,” she soothed, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Just try to breathe evenly. There’s nothing we can do for the shaking.”

They only needed to wait a few more minutes before an ambulance pulled into the parking lot, sirens blaring and lights flashing, visible through the front window. The manager, who had been standing nearby to keep watch, immediately started directing nearby tables to move to give the paramedics clear access.

Jensen shuddered as a tall man with shoulder-length brown hair and a short brunette woman in black paramedic uniforms hurried toward them. His eyes remained locked on the man and he felt himself relaxing despite the shaking when the man smiled calmly at him, making dimples appear in his cheeks. Jensen liked those dimples.

“Hi, I’m Jared,” the male paramedic said calmly, opening a bag he’d had with him and pulling out a few items, jerking his head toward the woman behind him. “That’s Genevieve, my partner. Can you tell me your name?”

“Jen,” he croaked, grimacing in discomfort and coughing slightly before trying again. “Jensen.”

Jared glanced at the bracelet on Jensen’s wrist for confirmation and nodded when he saw the name there. “Good,” he said, wrapping a blood pressure cuff around his arm. “Dispatch said epinephrine has been administered. One dose or two?”

“Just the one,” Danneel said, stepping forward from her place on the side. “Didn’t need a second. Rarely does.” She’d already put away the second, unneeded EpiPen.

“He’s shaking,” Genevieve observed. “Side effect of the adrenaline?”

Danneel nodded. “Happens every time.”

Jensen wished the shaking would _stop_ , but he knew from experience it would fade in a couple of hours.

Jared nodded, seeming pleased with the answer, but frowned and peered at Jensen’s eyes as he repeatedly squeezed the blood pressure pump. “Does anything hurt?”

Jensen shook his head then locked his eyes onto Jared’s. He had hazel eyes, flecks of green lighting up with the sunlight through the window beside them. “Just shaky and tired.”

“Do you feel sick or dizzy?” Jared released the cuff and gave his partner the numbers then pushed the earbuds of a stethoscope into his ears, slipping the other end under Jensen’s dress shirt to press into his chest.

Jensen flinched at the chill. “No.”

Jared huffed a small laugh that made Jensen relax a bit more. “Sorry about that,” he said then gave Genevieve the number. “Pulse is a little on the fast side and B.P.’s low.” He put the stethoscope away. “If nothing hurts and you’re not dizzy, I want you to try standing, okay? Even though you’re shaky, I think you could manage with some assistance. We won’t get a stretcher if you can walk with me without a problem, but the minute I don’t like your pulse or respiration, I’m stopping you, okay?”

Jensen nodded, unconsciously leaning into Jared’s side when the paramedic slipped one arm around his waist and grasped his wrist with the other hand, fingers pressed into the pulse point there. Jensen wanted to wrap his arm around Jared, too, but the arm closest to Jared was being held in the paramedic’s grasp. The taller man was warm and firm, and Jensen felt safe being held against him. Jared smelled like antiseptic – probably from the ambulance and medical equipment he worked with – with an undertone of something fruity. Shampoo maybe?

With Jared’s help, he slowly rose to his feet. Standing side-by-side, he noticed Jared was a few inches taller than himself. He felt his heart stutter at the line of Jared’s body heat pressed into his side.

“You doing okay?” Jared asked, having felt it through his grasp on Jensen’s wrist.

Jensen nodded.

“I need you to use words, okay? Need to make sure you’re still with me and can breathe okay,” Jared said.

“I’m okay,” Jensen rasped. Then he took a determined step forward followed by another.

Jared kept a firm grip on Jensen as they carefully closed the distance from their table in the corner to the front of the diner. The ambulance was parked right in front of the doors which Jensen realized he was grateful for. He hadn’t been lying when he said he was tired and the shakiness made him feel a little nauseous. And while the dose of epinephrine helped ease his breathing, the short distance they’d navigated had him panting like he’d run a marathon.

“You still doing okay?” Jared asked, fingers pressing more firmly into the pulse point at Jensen’s wrist. “Your pulse is picking up and you’re panting. You think you’re gonna make it the rest of the way?”

Jensen nodded. “I’m fine,” he breathed between pants.

“Hey, Gen!” Jared called, turning his head back toward the restaurant.

“Got it!” Genevieve called from where she’d been following behind them, dropping their equipment back onto the ground and stepping forward to stabilize Jensen from the other side the rest of the way to the ambulance.

Danneel, who had followed them outside, watched them get Jensen into the ambulance and saw Jared pressing a breathing mask over his nose and mouth. She watched Genevieve store their equipment then take over for Jared who hopped back down and shut the doors, obstructing her view of her friend.

“You can ride with us,” he said with a smile that made him seem younger than he looked. “You’d be in the cab with me where you’d be safely buckled in.”

“Our things-” she said lamely, gesturing to the restaurant only to find the manager standing beside her with their bags in her arms.

“I got them,” she said, offering them to her. “Go with your friend. And don’t worry about your bill. Your meal is paid for, and the waitress that served you will be fired.”

“Thank you,” Danneel said as she took their things then hopped up into the cab when Jared held the door open for her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure the scene divider isn't supposed to have a black background (it's actually transparent when I insert it into my word processor) but that's how it appears when I embed it, so... Nothing I can do, but just saying, that's not how my artist drew that - it's all my issue.

Jared groaned with relief at being off his feet as he dropped back onto the bed and let his legs dangle off the side, too tired to shift his body into the proper position. He’d just gotten home from a twelve-hour shift and had to be back in another twelve. The first thing he intended to do for as many of those twelve hours as he could was sleep. Though he nearly whined in frustration when he caught a whiff of himself – antiseptic mixed with sweat from the heat and leather from the rig’s cabin seats because he’d been doing the driving as always when paired with Gen. She didn’t feel comfortable driving the ambulances because she was so small and the rig was a large vehicle.

So, shower _then_ sleep.

With another irritated groan, he shoved himself to his feet. On his way to the bathroom, he snagged the sealed plastic bag he had put his uniform in before leaving the ambulance station. In the bathroom, he dropped it beside the hamper with the bags from his last two shifts. He’d have to do laundry soon; he only had one more uniform to get through his next twelve-hour shift. Thankfully, he had two days off after that in which he could do laundry.

Just as he’d pulled off his t-shirt, he heard his phone ringing from where he’d dropped it on the kitchen counter on his way in. That ringtone meant a call from Gen. Resisting the urge to wail out his frustration like a child, he padded through the apartment back to the kitchen. Snatching the phone off the pile of mail he’d dropped it on, he thumbed the screen.

“Gen, it’s past midnight,” he said.

 _“Well, hello to you, too,”_ Gen said sarcastically. _“And I know it’s past midnight and we just got off a twelve-hour shift, but I wanted to catch you before you crashed for the next twelve hours since I won’t see you on your next shift.”_

“What do you want?” Jared asked with as little heat as he could manage through his exhaustion. He shivered in the cool air of the apartment and wished he’d grabbed his shirt before coming to answer the phone.

 _“I just wanted to double check that you were still okay with a movie night tomorrow for your birthday,”_ Gen explained. Jared guessed by her tone that she was hoping he’d say he wasn’t so she could force him into whatever plans she had in mind.

“I don’t really feel like having a big party,” he said with a shrug Gen couldn’t see.

 _“I just wasn’t sure if you wanted to do something different,”_ Gen said sadly when Jared didn’t rise to the bait _. “Just me and you and a bunch of movies and snacks? Jay, that’s any day off for us! I mean, you gotta do_ something _fun for your birthday!_ ”

“I’m turning twenty-seven. Not exactly a birthday to celebrate any differently than usual,” Jared muttered, dropping onto the couch. This topic gave him the feeling the conversation was going to take awhile. “It’s not like I’m turning eighteen or twenty-one.”

 _“Birthdays don’t have to mean something_ legal _happens to make it special,”_ Gen countered logically.

Jared snorted, but he knew there was no resisting Gen when she got something in her head. “I really hope you have something planned then because I was just assuming we were going to do the usual so I got nothing.”

He had to hold the phone away from his ear as Gen _squealed_. _“Well, what if we – just you and me – go out to a bar?”_ she asked excitedly. _“You and me, a bar, beer, pool, and_ other people _. Maybe we’ll even find you someone to take home,”_ she added suggestively. _“When’s the last time you_ tried _meeting someone?”_

Jared sucked his lower lip thoughtfully, glancing around his apartment. He hated to admit it, but Gen was right. With his long, uneven shifts and spending his free time taking care of himself or his apartment and seeing his family, he hadn’t had much time for meeting new people. The last serious relationship he’d had was back in college, but that had ended when she’d-

He quickly averted his thoughts from that line of thinking.

Though he hated admitting it even to himself, Jared was lonely. He’d watch his parents or his siblings and their spouses at family gatherings and he’d feel a pang of loneliness every time. He wanted what they had – someone to love and share his time with. But he was never going to get that if he kept going the way he was. He hated to admit it, but Gen was right.

“Okay,” he sighed. “Fine. Pick a bar, and we’ll go out.”

 _“Haha,_ yes!” Gen cheered, and Jared couldn’t help grinning. _“I’ll find a good one, promise.”_

“Yeah, sure you will,” Jared mumbled then stifled a yawn. “Look, Gen, it’s late, and I’m exhausted.”

 _“Yeah, no, me, too”_ Gen agreed. _“Didn’t mean to keep you up so long. Night, Jay.”_

“Night, Gen.”

Jared ended the call and set his phone back on the counter before going back toward the bathroom. Despite the exhaustion and the chill from being shirtless, he couldn’t help grinning. Somehow, the knowledge that he and Gen were going _out_ for his birthday instead of staying in made Jared feel like that one decision meant something was going to happen to him. Something big. Something good.

Something life-changing.

Jared’s birthday happened to fall on a Tuesday, but his forty-eight hours of time off between shifts didn’t start until Wednesday morning, so they went out that night. Since it was a weeknight before a workday for people with “normal” jobs and regular, nine-to-five schedules, the bar Gen picked wasn’t as packed as Jared always anticipated. There was still a decent amount of people, and the loud music mixed with the din of several conversations was just as annoying – really, was he _that_ old now? - but there weren’t enough people that he was bumping into someone or _being_ bumped into every step.

They found a table in a corner where they could people watch though Jared watched Gen more than the crowd, deciding the way Gen eyed anyone that passed reminded him of a predator stalking its prey. She seemed like she was taking her promise to find Jared someone to take home much more seriously than Jared was.

“What are you thinking, Jay?” Gen called over the music then stopped searching the crowd to lean across the table closer to Jared. “Who do you feel like going home with? A guy, or a girl?”

Jared shrugged. “I don’t know. Depends on the person. Being bi doesn’t mean I have _moods_ for what gender I want at any given time, you know.”

“Well, I need _some_ kind of criteria,” Gen complained, returning her eyes to the crowd to search more. “I need someone I can go send your way.”

“We haven’t been here that long, and this is supposed to be for my birthday. Why are you so hung up on finding me someone to go home with?” Jared asked, shoving his empty beer bottle aside.

Gen shrugged but did return her attention back to him. “Yeah, I guess if we wait long enough, more people might show up. Who knows, maybe the person meant for you hasn’t been here yet.”

Jared snorted in amusement. “You sound like a cheesy romance movie.”

“Shut up,” Gen said though she laughed. “You like those just as much as I do, you know.”

Jared shrugged then sighed and slumped in his seat, thinking about the plots of those romance movies. If he were in one right now, the person he was meant to be with would saunter up to the table right now, smirk down at him, and offer to buy him a beer. They’d get to talking and they wouldn’t stop until the bar closed when they’d be forced to part ways, exchanging numbers before they left, promising to see each other again.

He huffed an amused laugh at the direction his thoughts went. “You know… I agreed to come out with you for exactly that reason,” he said.

“What reason?” Gen asked, raising an eyebrow at the confession.

“You were right. I spend my time at work, sleeping, or with my family, and we _always_ spend any other free time together. I never take the time to find a relationship, or, hell, even a hookup just to get laid.” Jared shrugged and continued. “Anyway, I was… maybe hoping that if you and I went out somewhere new… I might… maybe meet someone. I’m tired of being alone.”

Gen’s expression softened into a small smirk. “Not gonna lie, that was part of why I asked if you wanted to do something else. What?” she said almost defensively when Jared gave her a _look_. “You think I can’t tell how lonely you are? I can see the way you look at your parents or your siblings and their families when you invite me to family events. And the way you get all sad when you see other couples whenever we're out.”

“So,” Jared said slowly, a small smile spreading across his face, “you planned to bring me out hoping I’d meet someone? Not just a casual hookup?”

Gen shrugged before draining the last of her beer. “Well, you haven’t gotten laid lately anyway, so if that’s all that happens tonight, the evening won’t be a total bust.”

Jared snorted but straightened in his seat, feeling a little less depressed now that he’d shared how he felt with Gen.

“Two more?” she asked, gesturing to their empty bottles.

Jared shook his head. “You can, but one of us needs to be able to drive.”

“Okay, fine, _one_ more. For _you_. This is _your_ birthday, and I’m okay with not drinking so you can celebrate.”

“Alright, one more,” Jared conceded, waving a hand at her in a _go ahead_ gesture.

“Be right back then,” she said, grinning at him then disappearing through the crowd toward the bar.

Left alone with nothing to do but people watch, Jared let his gaze lazily travel over the other patrons nearby. He most certainly was _not_ trying to find someone to shamelessly flirt with then take back to his apartment for a casual hookup. Nor did he really expect to find any meaningful connection in a _bar_. He was just… watching.

As he looked past a table full of college girls toward a raised table near the corner he sat in, his eyes widened and his heart lurched with excitement. There, perched on a stool at the table, was the man who’d had an allergic reaction at a diner last week. Jared remembered that call well because the patient had had the most beautiful green eyes he’d ever seen – even glazed over with discomfort and disorientation. Like apple flavored candies; bright green. But there had been brown laced through the green, too. Maybe they were more like looking through one those caramel apple suckers when the caramel only covered one side of the candy.

Jensen.

Jared remembered seeing his name engraved on the medical bracelet and hearing Jensen himself utter it in a raspy voice. He wondered if the gravelly quality in Jensen’s voice was natural or a side effect of his throat having been trying to close up a few minutes before Jared’s arrival. Or maybe Jensen’s voice was light and smooth like whiskey. Not that it mattered. Either one paired with those eyes and those lips curled into a smile would make Jared weak in the knees.

Then he noticed the woman that had been with Jensen at the restaurant that afternoon. She slipped through the crowd from the direction the bathrooms were in and perched on the opposite stool. Jared’s heart dropped as realization dawned on him. That must be Jensen’s girlfriend. Why else would she be with him _both_ times Jared saw him?

Just like that, anyone else he could go home with that night seemed inferior. He _wanted_ Jensen, but the other man was apparently unavailable.

“Okay, another beer!”

Jared jerked his head back toward the opposite side of his own table as Gen announced her return, sliding into the booth and pushing a beer bottle toward him. He glanced back toward the table across the room for a second just to assure himself he really had seen who he thought he had then turned his attention back to Gen, taking the beer and taking a long pull.

“If you’re gonna drink like that, maybe I should go order us some food,” Gen said, smirking at Jared in amusement. When Jared didn’t banter back with her, her smile fell. “Hey, what’s wrong? Something happen while I was gone?”

Jared shook his head but didn’t explain. “Can we go do something else?” he mumbled.

“I thought you were totally ready to find someone,” Gen said, eyes narrowing in suspicion. She looked around the area near them to see if she could find anything unusual that might explain Jared’s mood and her eyes stopped in the direction he had been looking when she returned. “Ohhh,” she said, and Jared knew she had just seen what he had seen. “Isn’t that the allergy guy from last week?”

Jared nodded. “And his girlfriend.”

“You don’t know that’s his girlfriend,” Gen countered. “Maybe it’s his sister. People do that, y’know.”

“Why else would she be with him in _both_ places?” Jared huffed. “Trust me, Gen, I don’t have a chance in Hell with a guy like that.”

“A guy like what? You don’t know anything about him other than that he’s got allergies and that he’s hot as Hell,” Gen countered, sounding a little awestruck at the gorgeous man across the room. “He’d be perfect for you,” she declared, shaking herself back into focus and rising from her seat again.

Jared’s eyes widened, and he lashed a hand out to try to grab his friend’s wrist. “Gen, what are you-?”

“Chill, Jay, I got this,” she said before sauntering away.

Right toward Jensen’s table.

Jared groaned in humiliation and slid down in the seat, trying to make his six-foot-four frame seem less conspicuous. He covered his eyes with a hand as if that would keep Jensen from noticing him then peeked through his fingers toward where Gen was standing beside the other table when curiosity got the better of him. Both Jensen and the woman were looking at Gen as she spoke then Jensen’s eyes flicked to Jared behind Gen and Jared quickly averted his gaze, snatching up his beer for another drink.

Just as he was lowering the bottle back to the table, he became aware of someone nearing their table. He glanced up, hoping it was Gen coming back to tell him that yes, that woman was Jensen’s girlfriend. Instead, he was met with candy apple green eyes and a bow-shaped mouth curled up in a smirk.

“Jared, right?” Jensen said, and yep, his voice was smooth like whiskey; Jared was suddenly grateful he was sitting down. “Can I sit?”

Jared nodded mutely, blinking at Jensen as the other man slipped into Gen’s side of the booth. He glanced toward the other table, seeing Gen perched in Jensen’s abandoned seat, deep in conversation with the other woman.

“Your friend said she would keep Dani company while I came to talk to you,” Jensen said, seeing where Jared was looking. “I think it was so the two of us could talk.”

Jared turned back to Jensen and smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry. Gen’s small, but she’s tough and knows how to get her way.”

Jensen laughed, and Jared decided that his _laugh_ was the best sound he’d ever heard. “She asked – very bluntly I might add – if Dani was my girlfriend and; if not, then her friend was interested in _me_.”

Jared felt his cheeks heat up and hoped the corner they sat in wasn’t bright enough for Jensen to see the blush. “I’m sorry about her.”

“Why are you apologizing?” Jensen asked. “I’m kind of glad she came over to tell me you wanted to talk to me. I actually noticed you, too, but was too afraid to come to talk to you. After all, you saved my life.”

Jared huffed a laugh and waved a dismissive hand. “That was nothing. Dani did most of the saving when she got you your EpiPen.”

“Well, your presence was calming then,” Jensen added. “EpiPens always make me shaky, but with you holding me up, I felt secure, and it was easy to ignore the trembling.” Jensen blushed at his own words and the fact that Jared could see it meant Jensen had probably seen his own blush a few moments ago, but he suddenly didn’t mind.

“I was just doing my job. But, um, I’m glad I could make you feel better. It’s nice when a patient can express their thanks for something we did. Usually, there isn’t much time between arriving, tending to the emergency, and dropping the patient at the hospital for small talk, and you rarely see patients again afterward… Ah, sorry; rambling,” he mumbled, dropping his gaze to the beer bottle his hands were wrapped around.

Jensen chuckled, and suddenly there was a warm hand firmly grasping one of Jared’s wrists Jared noticed the silver emergency bracelet glinting in the low light of the bar, remembering having checked it the afternoon in the diner. “I’m not complaining, Jared. You seem to really like your work.”

Jared looked up to see Jensen smiling at him, little crinkles forming at the corners of his eyes, and he felt himself relax and smile in return. “I do. I like being able to help people.”

Jensen nodded as he retracted his hand and sat back again. “Why did you choose to be a paramedic instead of working in a hospital? Theoretically, you could help in both places, right?”

Jared dropped his eyes back to his beer and picked at the label. “I, um… I lost my girlfriend in a car accident in college. They didn’t get to her and get her to the hospital fast enough, and she didn’t make it. It wasn’t their fault – I’m not angry, and I don’t blame them. She was just too badly injured. But I wasn’t there with her,” he said, voice dropping into a whisper. “Someone nearby called an ambulance. I was in class, taking a test. My phone was off. I had no idea it happened until she was…” He swallowed past the lump in his throat. “She was gone. Just imagining that she spent her last moments scared and alone with strangers who may or may not have comforted her, I- I want to be one of the first ones someone in an emergency situation sees. I want to make sure they’re never alone in a scary situation. I know that sounds selfish or something but I just… I want to be able to make a frightening situation _less_ frightening if I can and give victims as much of a chance as I can.”

Jensen was quiet a moment as he absorbed what Jared had said and Jared was starting to think he’d ruined the mood with his story when Jensen finally spoke. “That’s a very kind gesture,” he said quietly.

Jared smiled sheepishly at his beer bottle.

“So,” Jensen said in a more natural tone. “Gen told me you were here for your birthday. A helpful hint, she called it.”

Jared smiled and shook his head. “I don’t know whether to be mad at her for going over there for me or grateful. But yeah, she and I are out for my birthday. It was yesterday.”

“Well, happy belated birthday,” Jensen said with a grin. “Mine was in March. If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you now?”

“Twenty-seven,” Jared said with a smile that he hoped conveyed that he didn’t mind that Jensen had asked.

Jensen nodded. “I’m thirty-one.”

They lapsed into silence for a moment, both still smiling, Jared picking at the label on his beer while Jensen idly twisted one of the empty ones. At the same time Jared lifted his gaze to Jensen’s and asked “Can I go get you a drink?”, Jensen met Jared’s eyes and said “I’m a professor.” They both laughed, and Jared felt any residual tension thoroughly drain away. Being with Jensen was nice. He liked the older man’s smile and the green of his eyes and the sound of his voice.

Recovering first, Jensen smiled and said, “I wouldn’t say no to a drink if you’re offering.”

Jared nodded and pushed his half-empty beer aside then stood. “Beer?” When Jensen nodded, he smiled wide enough that he knew his dimples were showing and weaved his way toward the bar. He’d only been waiting a minute when Gen appeared at his side, grinning at him.

“So, should I be making myself scarce?” she asked with a wink.

Jared rolled his eyes, ignoring his friend long enough to put in an order for another beer when the bartender stopped by. When she walked away to get his order, he said, “We’re just talking.”

“Yeah, but if you play your cards right, you could be taking Dr. Ackles over there home,” she purred.

“How’d you know he’s _Doctor_ Ackles and not _Mister_?” Jared asked, genuinely curious since he’d only just learned Jensen’s profession himself.

“The woman he came with is a friend who teaches at the same college,” Gen explained.

Jared rolled his eyes then accepted the beer from the bartender and pushed away from the bar. Before he could take more than two steps away, Gen stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Seriously, Jay, Danneel and I can get out of your hair so you two can get to know each other,” he said. “You and I can always have a real party tomorrow. Hell, invite Dr. Ackles, and I’ll ask Dr. Harris.”

“Do you have a crush on Jensen’s friend, Gen?” Jared asked with a knowing smirk, cackling when his friend blushed. “So, your offer to leave me alone with Jensen is a seemingly selfless way of ditching me for his friend.”

“Look at her, Jay!” Gen cried. “She’s so…”

Jared laughed harder, wiping tears from his eyes. “Okay, okay! Go! I know you have almost a hard time as I do finding someone, too. I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks, Jay!” she said, leaning up to kiss his cheek. “And for the record, I’m happy for you, too.”

When they made their way across the bar, Danneel stood beside their table, purse over her shoulder, and the two professors were deep in conversation.

“You must be Jared,” she said when they noticed the other two approaching. She immediately offered her hand. “Danneel, Jensen’s friend. Nice to meet you. Jensen tells me you two are getting along great, but unfortunately, Jen and I are two of the few professors that teach summer courses, and we have early classes tomorrow, so we have to get going.”

Jared glanced at Jensen in confusion, but the older man smiled apologetically as he stood.

“Sorry, but she’s right,” he said. “I’d love to see you again though.”

“Me, too,” Jared agreed.

“Hey, you know what?” Gen said, grinning that grin that Jared knew meant trouble for him. “We’re having a real birthday party for Jared tomorrow.”

Jared’s brow furrowed in confusion because since _when_ was anyone having a birthday party for him, but before he could say anything, Gen continued.

“Why don’t you two join us?” she asked, looking between Jensen and Danneel.

“That sounds like a great idea,” Danneel agreed before either of the men could say anything. “I’ll give you my number, and you can text me the details. I’ll make sure Jen’s there.”

“Dani, tomorrow is our night classes,” Jensen reminded her.

“They’re out by eight; that’s not too late,” she countered, looking to Gen for confirmation.

“No, totally not too late,” the brunette agreed. “You can show up whenever you get out of class, and we can get started.”

“Perfect,” Danneel agreed.

The women said their goodbye while the men dazedly added in their farewells. Once Jensen and Danneel were gone, Jared was left gaping at his friend.

“Gen, what the hell?” he asked, slipping back into their booth while she slid in across from him. “Who’s having a party?”

“We are,” Gen declared, tapping away at her phone. “You, me, Jensen and Danneel. I’ll even see if Misha can make it, maybe have him bring Vicki.”

“ _Why?_ ”

“I’m inviting Misha so it’s not like a weird double date, and asking him to bring Vicki so he doesn’t feel like a fifth wheel with you wanting to see Jared and me wanting to see Danneel? Stop looking like you’re about to be punished! Now you’ll have more time to see Jensen,” Gen said as if this whole thing was the most natural scenario in the world.

“I could have just exchanged numbers and asked him out on a normal date, you know,” Jared grumbled.

“Yeah, but this way, we both get to see more of the hot professors,” Gen said, grinning.


	3. Chapter 3

Jensen glanced at the clock for the fifth time in as many minutes and bit back a sigh of frustration. Why couldn’t time move faster? He still had a half hour left of the class. Unfortunately, they were taking a test so he couldn’t just dismiss them early. Fortunately, with a half an hour left, there was only a handful of students left – those that excelled and took extra time to go over their tests for mistakes, and the few that struggled and took the full two hours to _complete_ the test.

“You have thirty minutes left,” he called in a low tone so as not to disrupt their focus.

He scanned the room just to be sure everyone was focused on their own papers, but there were so few students left that the gaps between them provided little chance to peek at neighboring tests. Satisfied that it didn’t appear like anyone was attempting to cheat, Jensen returned his attention to the papers he had been trying to grade for the last hour and a half. He’d only read a few lines of his current paper before his mind wandered to hazel eyes and dimples.

The first day he met Jared was hazy in his memory. He’d been conscious and alert but weary and achy from having been fighting to catch his breath then his body’s shaking in reaction to the epinephrine. The most prominent memory of that afternoon was the tall paramedic holding him up as they left the restaurant, Jared’s strong arm around Jensen’s waist, firm grip around his wrist, and the line of warmth where their bodies pressed together. Jensen had been more focused on Jared’s hold around him than the shaking that always annoyed him after a shot of adrenaline. Danneel couldn’t always distract him from the uncomfortable, involuntary reaction his body had but just being held by Jared had.

The memory of the second time Jensen met Jared was much clearer. Danneel had decided they needed to go out again and Jensen had allowed her to drag him to another bar. They’d sat at their table in the back for almost an hour before Jensen noticed Jared. Danneel had gone to the bathroom in an attempt to leave Jensen open to other guys to flirt with much to Jensen’s annoyance. As he’d glanced around the bar, he’d seen Jared sitting with a brunette woman Jensen vaguely recognized from the day at the diner. Genevieve, Jared’s work partner. Any disappointment Jensen might have felt at seeing Jared with someone faded.

Then Danneel had returned, reclaiming his attention. She’d gotten it out of him that he’d been staring at the paramedic that had helped him, accompanied by some teasing that “Jen has a crush!” which had made him blush and duck his gaze, all but confirming she was correct. She’d been trying to push him into going over there when Genevieve had approached the table. She’d reintroduced herself and told them that her friend Jared was interested in Jensen. At the mention of Jared, Jensen’s eyes had flicked toward the table to catch Jared quickly averting his own gaze, and Jensen’s heart did a little flip at the idea that Jared was just as nervous as Jensen was.

Somehow, that made Jensen feel _less_ nervous, and he’d fearlessly stood and crossed to Jared’s table. It had been far too easy to converse with Jared, and Jensen had found himself revealing his admiration for Jared for saving his life and, much to his belated embarrassment, the revelation that Jared’s presence had made the shaking more bearable. Then Jared seemed to reveal more than he intended in response and it made Jensen feel less awkward for maybe oversharing.

The way Jared seemed embarrassed for having rambled melted Jensen’s heart, and he’d reached across the table to grasp the younger man’s wrist without thinking. Jared’s skin was smooth and warm under his touch, and when Jared didn’t pull away, he’d been reluctant to take his hand back, but he didn’t want to prolong the contact into awkward territory.

They’d conversed easily, and Jensen had been pleased to learn that Jared wasn’t that much younger than he was. Then a comfortable silence had fallen over them. Realizing Jensen knew what Jared did but Jared didn’t know what Jensen did, he’d found himself declaring that he was a professor just as Jared had asked if Jensen wanted a drink.

While Jared and Genevieve had gone to retrieve drinks, Danneel had reminded him what time it was and that they needed to go because they had classes in the morning. He’d been reluctant to end the evening but responsibility won out. Thankfully, Genevieve had provided a much needed – although very obvious – excuse to see Jared again, inviting Jensen to a birthday party for Jared. Jensen had been disappointed that it fell on a night he had to teach a night class, but Genevieve had assured them that the party could wait until then.

That didn’t stop the impatience Jensen felt as he glanced at the clock and realized only five more minutes had gone by.

Another of his students approached his desk to turn in her test, placing it face down on the rest of them as he’d instructed, offering him a small smile.

“Good night, Dr. Ackles,” she whispered.

“Have a good evening,” he replied in a whisper, giving her a small smile and watching her return to her seat to gather her belongings before quietly exiting the classroom.

Then finally, at a quarter to eight, the last of his students turned in their tests! Jensen quickly gathered them into a folder marked with the class name, collected the other papers he’d been trying to grade into their folder, then locked up the classroom for the night and hurried toward his office. He grabbed his messenger bag and carefully shoved file folders he would need into it then slung it over his shoulder. As he locked up his office and hurried down the empty halls toward the main exit, he wished he had Jared’s number to check in, but in the whirlwind of Genevieve and Danneel plotting for them, he’d forgotten. He’d be embarrassed if he showed up only to find the party had ended.

Danneel met him at the front entrance, assuring him that she’d talked to Genevieve and everyone was gathered, waiting for them. She’d gotten the address from Genevieve, so she’d driven Jensen to the college that morning and would be driving him to the party.

Twenty minutes later when they pulled onto the street, Jensen noticed there weren’t as many cars as he thought there would be for a party. As they neared the door, Jensen noticed the front door was open, the storm door keeping insects out, but let sound flow from the inside of the house, the most prominent being laughter. They stepped up onto the porch, and he saw there were only four people in the living room – Jared, Genevieve, and a man and a woman he didn’t recognize. Before either could knock, Genevieve noticed them first and waved them inside.

“Hey guys, welcome to my home; come on in!”

Jensen felt his cheeks flush as everyone turned their eyes to him and called out greetings. Thankfully, before anyone could approach them, Jared seemed to appear at his side out of nowhere, smiling apologetically and waving away everyone’s attention. Danneel scampered away to place herself at Genevieve’s side.

“Hey, Jensen,” he breathed with a small smile and the shorter man loved the way his name sounded coming from Jared all breathy like that.

“Hey, Jared,” Jensen replied, smiling in reaction to Jared’s greeting. It felt almost impossible _not_ to smile in Jared’s presence. “Happy birthday. Again.”

Jared huffed a laugh and ducked his gaze, brushing his hair back. “Thanks. So, um, do you want something to drink?” he asked, finally meeting Jensen’s eyes once more and gesturing toward the kitchen.

Jensen nodded. “Of course.”

As they left the sounds of the living room for the quiet of the kitchen, Jensen felt Jared lightly rest his hand to the small of his back. He felt his face heat up with nerves. Jensen liked the way the taller man felt against his side and ignored the urge to lean into Jared’s warmth. The contact reminded him of the way Jared had helped him out to the ambulance that first afternoon, and he was thankful that Jared wasn’t gripping his wrist this time or he’d notice the way Jensen’s heartbeat faltered at his proximity to Jared. Again.

The spacious kitchen was bright, and the counters and island were full of various snacks and drinks. Jared moved to the space designated for drinks, and poured two glasses of soda, offering one to Jensen.

“Thanks,” he said, looking around the room. “Gen managed to throw together all of this in less than a day?”

Jared nodded, smiling sheepishly. “Yeah, she got Misha and his wife Vicki in on it; they did all of this. And don’t worry, I made sure there were no nuts around,” he added, gaze immediately darting down to the bracelet always present on Jensen’s wrist.

“Thanks,” Jensen replied, offering a small, reassuring smile though his heart fluttered with appreciation that someone would go through the trouble for him.

“Hey, Jared, who’s your friend?”

Both men turned their attention to the man that had been sitting in the living room with Gen and the other woman when they arrived.

“This is Jensen. Jensen, this is my friend Misha,” Jared said, gesturing between the two with his free hand.

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Jensen said, offering a hand out to him which Misha politely shook.

“You too,” he said as he withdrew his hand and moved around the two to fill two plates with snacks. “So, how did you meet? Are you a medic, too?”

Jensen shook his head. “No, I’m an English professor. I teach an introductory English night course, an introduction to creative writing course, a short story course, and a course that focuses on fan fiction.”

“That’s a lot,” Jared murmured. “Is it normal for a professor to have so many classes?”

Jensen nodded. “We’re required to teach two to five courses a week and have six hours of open office time for students to meet with us. None of those courses meet every day. I have two classes during the day, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I teach a night class.”

“So, if you’re not a medic and as far as I know, Jared’s not a teacher on the side and hasn’t gone back to school for extra degrees, how’d you meet then?” Misha pressed while pouring two glasses of soda.

Jensen glanced between Misha and Jared, unsure how to respond and a little nervous at the other man’s insistence. He supposed this man was playing the protective friend, making sure Jensen was good enough for Jared and all that. So, did Jensen admit that they met the day Jared saved his life or mention the bar from last night? A bar was usually a socially acceptable way to meet someone, and Jensen didn’t want to make Jared uncomfortable by having to explain why he’d invited a former patient to a birthday party. However, before Jensen could respond, Jared answered Misha’s question for them.

“Jensen was one of the calls I responded to last week. Allergic reaction to nuts,” Jared said.

“How’d you wind up inviting a patient to a birthday party?” Misha asked, eyeing Jared.

Jared huffed one of those small laughs that Jensen was beginning to associate with Jared being nervous. “We saw each other again last night at a bar Gen dragged me to.”

Misha lifted his chin and made an “ahh” sound. “Yeah, Gen’s still determined they’ll work, huh?” At Jared’s nod, Misha carefully balanced the two little plates of food on his arms then picked up the glasses. “Well, maybe this time, it did,” he added with a wink.

With that, he breezed back out of the kitchen. They shared an amused smile then Jared picked up a couple of paper plates from a pile where plates, plastic silverware, cups and napkins were set out, offering one to Jensen. They silently filled their plates, the quiet more comfortable than it had any right to be at only a second proper meeting.

Noticing Jared scanning the spread of food with a furrowed brow, Jensen shifted slightly toward Jared to duck his head and meet the taller man’s gaze. “Jared? Something wrong?”

“I just…” Jared huffed that nervous laugh and Jensen waited patiently for him to find the words. “I was just thinking. How do you know if you can have a particular food or not? I mean, take, for example, the chip bowl there?” Jared asked, gesturing to the bowl of tortilla chips surrounded by different dip containers. “To me, I wouldn’t think twice about them having come into contact with nuts, but I was just thinking… Do you have to check stuff like that to see what kind of oil they were made in and stuff?”

Jensen smiled warmly, completely understanding Jared’s concern, and nodded, setting his plate aside and scanning the kitchen. When he saw where Gen had left unfinished packages of food, he picked up the tortilla chip bag, turning it around so they could read the back.

“Check the ingredients,” he explained, skimming his finger along the package as he read. “See, this kind says ‘Vegetable Oil’ then lists in parentheses ‘Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower Oil.’ You know corn is a vegetable, canola oil is made from seeds from a flower, and sunflower seeds are just that – another _seed_ and not nuts or legumes. So, this particular kind of tortilla chip is safe for me,” he said then returned the bag to the counter.

“So,” Jared said slowly, gathering his thoughts. “Do you have to do that with everything all the time?”

Jensen nodded. “I do it whenever I buy groceries. Though by now, I’ve learned which brands are safe and don’t have to check _every_ packaged item I pick up. And when I’m out, I ask the staff at those places whether something I’m interested in has nuts.”

Jared shifted his weight to one foot and lifted his hands to gesture as he spoke. Jensen couldn’t help smiling at the genuine way the other man was curious about his allergens. “So then, how’d what happened at the restaurant last week _happen_?”

“Ah, I was wondering if you’d come to that,” Jensen said with a smile. “That day, I tried something new on the menu. Usually, I stick to one dish that I _know_ is safe when out to lunch with Danneel. I asked the waitress if there were any kind of nuts in that dish and explained to her that I was allergic. She said, very rudely, that it was a _tomato_ sauce. It turned out, there was peanut butter used in the sauce. Danneel questioned the chef after I could breathe again and he explained that he told his staff what was in it to prevent what happened to me from happening to others. Unfortunately, Danneel and I got a waitress that didn’t pay attention or didn’t care and didn’t think.”

“Does that happen very often?” Jared asked, frowning and tilting his head in concern.

Jensen shook his head. “No, most of the time, the staff I deal with at any given establishment are very kind about it, and I can avoid my allergens.”

“Oh. Good,” Jared huffed, relaxing his posture. He nodded once more and resumed filling his plate, but paused again, eyeing a platter of cookies and tilting his head curiously.

“What are you thinking of now, Jared?” Jensen asked kindly.

This time, Jared didn’t hesitate with his question. “Can you touch something that has nuts in it without it affecting you?”

Jensen shook his head. “No, depending on how _much_ of a nut is in any given product, it will affect me. By touch, I won’t have a reaction that requires medical attention. Touching a nut product simply makes my skin itch and a rash might appear there. If I’ve touched something, all I have to do is wash my hands and I’ll be alright.”

Jared nodded in understanding and smiled a relaxed smile that made his dimples show. Jensen liked Jared’s dimples and liked when Jared smiled wide enough that they showed.

Plates filled, they retrieved their drinks and made their way back into the living room with the rest of Jared’s friends. They found a place to sit together on the couch, Jared between Jensen and another brunette woman Jensen didn’t recognize.

“Hey Dr. Ackles!” Genevieve greeted, grinning brightly as she leaned into Danneel’s side.

Jensen chuckled at her and lifted his glass in greeting. “Hey. You two look cozy.”

“You’re a doctor?” asked the woman Jensen hadn’t been introduced to yet; he assumed that was Vicki.

Jensen shook his head with a small smile. “I’m an English professor.”

“He teaches an insane amount of classes,” Misha added.

“It’s actually normal for us,” Danneel countered.

“So, do either of you have siblings?” Gen asked, glancing between Danneel at her side and Jensen.

“I have a brother,” Danneel said with a shrug.

“I’ve got an older brother and a younger sister,” Jensen said. “Josh and Mackenzie.”

“You have a younger sister with an M name and an older brother with a J name?” Jared asked, sounding shocked.

Jensen nodded slowly. “Yeah, why?”

Jared chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m a middle child, too. I have an older brother named Jeff, and a younger sister named Megan.”

The room shared a laugh over the coincidence.

“Any nieces or nephews?” Vicki asked.

Jensen nodded. “Yeah, they both have kids.”

“What about you?” Misha asked. “Have you thought about kids?”

“Mish,” Jared warned.

“What?” he asked with a grin. “We’re on the subject of children.”

Jensen lifted his cup to take a drink to avoid answering right away. He felt wary about discussing such a serious topic around Jared. Jensen really liked Jared and was nervous that his answer to this question wouldn’t be the same as Jared. The paramedic wouldn’t have any interest in Jensen then. Not that Jensen was certain Jared had any interest in him _now_.

“I have,” he finally admitted, deciding it best to get it over with and if Jared disagreed, then it wouldn’t hurt too much when he told Jensen he no longer was interested. “When I turned thirty without finding a partner, I started to think kids weren’t going to happen for me. I think I’d still like to have them someday even if I am over thirty.”

“I feel the same,” Jared said in almost a whisper as if Jensen had just read his mind and Jensen found himself grinning at Jared. “Not the over thirty part,” he quickly added, earning another round of chuckles through the room.

“Alright,” Gen announced as she stood. “I think it’s cake time. Jared, you stay put.” She disappeared into the kitchen, returning a moment later carrying a sheet cake out from the kitchen, two number candles – a 2 and a 7 – lit on top. “Cake time! Someone start singing.”

Misha grinned and began belting out “Happy Birthday to You” to which Vicki quickly joined in, followed by Danneel and Gen at more natural volumes and pitches. Even Jensen joined in, grinning as he sang; Jared, despite his embarrassment at being the center of attention, noted Jensen had an amazing singing voice. Gen carefully maneuvered to hold the cake in front of her friend. It was covered with white icing and the words “Happy Birthday Jared” written in blue icing.

Jared flushed at the attention and blew out the two candles effortlessly then settled back in his seat with a smile. While everyone cheered, Gen took the cake back into the kitchen to cut.

“I’m not a waitress; you want a slice, you come get it yourself,” she called, earning a few chuckles.

“You heard her, birthday man,” Misha said. “Go on.”

Jared glanced at Jensen with a dimpled grin, offered his hand, then tugged the shorter man up when Jensen clasped his hand. He led him into the kitchen where he retrieved two plates with a slice of cake on them, handing one to Jensen.

Everyone took their slices and stood around the kitchen island to eat.

Jensen smiled as he looked around at Jared’s gathered friends. Then his gaze returned to Jared, whom Jensen realized he was quickly falling for even if they’d only met three times; twice if he didn’t include their first meeting when he could barely string a few words together. Jensen wanted another excuse to see Jared and wondered if Jared felt the same. But he’d welcomed him to his party, and Jensen doubted he would have done that if Jared didn’t _want_ to see him. He noticed the way Genevieve and Danneel had tucked themselves into a quiet corner together and smiled to himself, knowing that, even if he and Jared didn’t work out, at least someone found their match because of his near-death experience.

“Hey,” Jared whispered, gently nudging Jensen who pushed his thoughts away for now and smiled at him. “Did you have fun? I know my friends are kinda strange, and Gen practically forced you into this.”

“It was fun,” Jensen assured with a chuckle. “Your friends are nice. And Danneel helped force us both into this, so don’t worry.”

Jared visibly relaxed and smiled wide. “Great. Um, I was wondering, though, if you might like to…” He glanced at his friends around them, but no one was paying them any attention at the moment, occupied by Misha and Danneel having a light argument about overworking teachers for not enough pay. “Do you want to go somewhere this weekend? Just you and me? I know you work during the week and I’ve been scheduled with a Saturday off, so… I was wondering…”

Jensen chuckled and tilted his head. “Are you asking me out on a date, Jared?”

Jared huffed that laugh of his and shrugged. “Yeah, I guess I am?”

Jensen laughed then nodded, still grinning. “I would love to.”

Jared grinned at him again, and Jensen realized that whatever he felt for Jared was most definitely reciprocated from the younger man.


	4. Chapter 4

“So, where are you taking Jensen tomorrow?” Gen asked as she closed the back of the rig.

It was Friday night, and they’d just finished another round of twelve hours on and twelve hours off. The post-shift rig check was complete, and they were on their way to clocking out for the night. Jared was looking forward to a nice hot shower and his bed, but Gen’s question sparked a little niggling of anxiety. He hadn’t planned anything for a date that was tomorrow night.

“I don’t know,” Jared sighed, holding open the door that led to the rest of the station.

“It’s already Friday, and you have no idea where you’re going?” Gen asked as she flicked off the light and passed through the open door.

Jared shook his head. “I was just going to do dinner and a movie, but that’s way overdone, and the idea of taking Jensen to a _restaurant_ scares the shit out of me. I mean, you were there with me.”

“You’re afraid of some dumbass waitress accidentally nearly killing your date,” Gen said with a nod, unbuttoning her uniform shirt to reveal the camisole underneath.

Jared shrugged his agreement, undoing his own shirt; this was as far as the two ever got before parting ways to the locker rooms to change into their street clothes, but there was just something so satisfying about undoing their uniform shirts after a long shift. “Pretty much.”

“So don’t do dinner this time,” she said as if it were the most obvious solution.

“I don’t know enough about him to know what he’d like to do for a date,” Jared admitted. “The whole point of a first date is to get to know one another.”

“I think you’re past traditional dating, Jared,” Gen said with a smirk. “I mean, he’s not even your boyfriend yet and he’s already met your friends.”

“That’s because _you_ invited him to a party that hadn’t even been planned,” Jared pointed out.

“Yeah, but don’t tell me you didn’t desperately want some excuse to see him again after the bar,” Gen said with a smirk that said she knew she was right.

“Yeah, and I’m sure the offer wasn’t just so he’d bring Danneel,” Jared countered with a smirk. “How are things with her, by the way?”

“Good,” Gen said with a shrug. “I mean, given our schedules, finding time to hang out isn’t easy, but she’s so…” She sighed deeply, dropping into a chair in the dining area. “She’s hot, and she’s funny, and she’s smart. Fuck, Jay, I think I’m falling for her already.”

Jared smiled fondly at his friend and settled into the seat across from her. “Yeah? I could tell that first night at the bar. And at the party. You two are inseparable, and you trade this look like the other is the only person around.”

“You look at Jensen the same way, you know,” Gen replied with a soft, knowing smile.

Jared ducked his head, unable to stop grinning. He pushed his hair back from his face and shrugged. “I still don’t know what to do tomorrow night,” he said, changing the topic back to less emotional territory.

“Do something not-so-traditional. If dinner scares you and it’s overdone, don’t do it. You can still talk and get to know each other if you do something else,” Gen said, smoothly following the change of topic.

Jared nodded thoughtfully. “Something easy that doesn’t require a lot of concentration so we can still talk.”

“What about bowling?” Gen suggested. “And if he’s bad at it, you can ‘show’ him. You know, get your arms around him, help him hold the ball, press up close to him…”

Jared rolled his eyes at the (not unpleasant) image she painted, but he had to admit that bowling did sound like a good idea. “Ignoring the part where I molest him, bowling sounds like a good idea. Thanks.”

Gen nodded with a smile and stood. “Glad I could help. Now, I’m going to go change and go home. Let me know if you need help picking your outfit tomorrow,” she teased.

Jared glared mildly, but his expression quickly softened into a smile. “Thanks, Gen. I’ll tell you how it goes, okay?”

Gen nodded, and they bid one another goodnight before she disappeared upstairs. Once he was alone, he slipped his phone out of his pocket and navigated to his messages, finding the short conversation he had with Jensen. Before leaving Gen’s last night, they’d exchanged numbers and had shared a few texts throughout the day. Just simple messages like “How’s your day?” and “Can’t wait for tomorrow.” Now that Jared knew where he wanted to take Jensen, he thought it fair he actually tell the other man.

_[Message sent to Jensen at 12:10am] Hey Jensen. Sorry it’s super late but I just got off work and don’t know how late I’ll sleep tomorrow. Just wanted to tell you I decided where we’re going tomorrow night. Bowling sound okay? I can pick you up around seven._

Instead of putting his phone back in his pocket, he just held it as he jogged upstairs to the men’s locker room. This late at night, whoever was on shift and not out on a call was likely asleep, so he did his best to stay quiet as he slipped into the bedroom he shared with a couple other guys to gather his clothing and quickly change into his street clothes, stuffing his uniform in a plastic zipped bag. Just as he was exiting the room, he felt his phone vibrate in his jeans pocket and pulled it out to scan as he descended the stairs.

_[Message received from Jensen at 12:20am] Don’t worry about the late hour. Still up grading papers. Bowling sounds fun! Seven is good. :)_

Jared couldn’t help grinning at Jensen’s acceptance of the activity. He’d been afraid that choosing something other than dinner and a movie was taking a risk for a first date, and he hadn’t even known if Jensen _liked_ bowling. Or had ever been.

Grinning proudly, he exited the station and crossed the parking lot to his car.

Jensen frowned at his closet, shoving hangers back and forth.

“Why did I even ask you for help, Dani?” he mumbled.

“Shut up, you know I have awesome taste,” Danneel said, shoving him away from the closet and toward the bed. “Just… stand there like that and let me look. So, you’re not going to dinner and a movie?” she asked as she dug through his closet.

“Nope, we’re going bowling,” Jensen replied. “But if it’s something non-traditional, at least it’s something that’s hard to be bad at it, so I can’t embarrass myself.”

“Nothing wrong with non-traditional,” Danneel said, holding a green button-down in front of the worn AC/DC shirt Jensen wore. “Matches your eyes, but it’s too… stuffy. Hang onto it for me.”

Jensen took the hanger being shoved at his chest but tossed the shirt onto the bed instead. “To be honest, I’m kind of glad we’re not doing dinner. What if I had a reaction to something?”

“Jensen, that waitress completely disregarded your warning that you were allergic _and_ she ignored the recipe. How often do you go out and have a reaction? Actually, how often do you have a reaction, period?” she countered, turning with another item, rolling her eyes when she noticed he had discarded the first shirt and holding up a blue one instead. “Besides, Jared’s a paramedic, so he knows how to administer an EpiPen which you always carry more than one of just in case. You’d have been fine with dinner.”

“I really like Jared,” he admitted on a sigh. “I haven’t felt this way about anyone so quickly before, and I don’t want to scare him away.”

“Are you forgetting how you two _met_?” Danneel laughed. She picked up the green shirt and held them both side-by-side in front of Jensen’s chest. “Also, again, Jared’s a paramedic. I’m sure he’s seen worse than allergic reactions.” Lowering the shirts, her mirthful smile fell away, replaced by a concerned frown. “Hey, Jen, I’m gonna say something, and I want you to know I’m coming from a place of concern for you, okay?”

“What is it?” Jensen asked, her sudden seriousness making him wary.

“Are you sure you like Jared for Jared or do you think maybe you have a crush on him because he saved your life?” Danneel asked in that same cautious tone.

Jensen frowned deeply as he thought if over. Yeah, he’d been a little awestruck by the man that first afternoon, but he was sure that had everything to do with _Jared_ and not what the other man had done for him. Besides, he’d known Jared was hot the minute he saw the younger man. Before the paramedic had even started treating him. And the time they’d spent at the bar and Jared’s party had nothing to do with Jared’s job, nor had Jensen’s allergies made any appearance. They’d genuinely talked and enjoyed the other’s company.

“Jared is,” he started, huffing when everything Jared was came to the forefront of his mind all at once. “He’s funny and sweet and smart, and technically, you saved my life with my EpiPen. Jared was just one of the paramedics that arrived after. And…You know how I get shaky every time I need my EpiPen?”

“Yeah?” Danneel said slowly, clearly not sure what this sudden topic change was about.

“It’s a pain in the ass and a very uncomfortable feeling and it _always_ happens. But that afternoon, when Jared was holding me up, I forgot about being shaky. I could ignore my body’s trembling if I focused on him.”

“Okay, but you can’t base a relationship off of how he makes you forget the side effect of your EpiPen,” she countered.

Jensen sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. “How can I make you understand? This is not some hero worship crush I have because he helped me out after an allergic reaction. If we had met _any_ other way, you wouldn’t be so worried.”

“Yes, I would. You’re my best friend, and I care about you. I just want you to be happy, Jen,” she whispered. and Jensen heard the genuine care in her voice.

“ _Jared_ makes me happy, Dani,” he said.

“Then wear the green shirt,” Danneel said, effectively ending the “moment” though her smile remained affectionate before she turned to finish pulling out clothes for him.

The bowling alley wasn’t as loud or crowded as Jensen thought it might be for a Saturday night. Then again, he doubted many people even _bowled_ anymore. As Jared paid for them to rent shoes and a lane, Jensen glanced down toward the lanes, noting how there were more lanes _not_ in use than there were _in_ use. He also noticed how there weren’t many patrons that were much younger than he and Jared.

The entrance and desk area led down to a section with tables and chairs, both of which had carpeted flooring. There was another step down that led to tile where benches and the automatic scorers were set up before the step up that led to the glossed wood of the actual lanes. The monitors above the unused lanes displayed various bowling themed images while the monitors above lanes in use showed the games’ scores.

The wall behind the pin drop at the far end of the lanes was painted in a large mural that displayed the alley’s name and an image of a ball hitting a set of pins with an orange starburst behind it. Jensen suspected it was to make the game seem more appealing. The walls to the left and the right of the lanes held various posters advertising the establishment (though why they would put them _there_ where people were _already_ inside playing escaped Jensen) and safety tips and warnings.

“We’re in lane five,” Jared said, breaking Jensen from his thoughts.

Smiling in thanks, Jensen accepted the garish looking shoes Jared offered, knowing they weren’t going to be very comfortable. They crossed through the seating area down to the tile and took a seat on the benches directly behind their lane to change shoes. When Jensen stood again, he grimaced at the very _flat_ feeling the shoes provided and resisted the urge to retie them.

“Want to go first?” Jared asked as he stood as well.

“Why not?” Jensen said with a smile and a shrug. He stepped up onto the wood platform and picked a simple black ball from the ball return then stepped up to their lane.

He eyed the pins then lifted the ball in both hands, fingers of one slipped into the holes. He swung back, stepped forward, and released on the forward swing. Unconsciously, he held his breath as the ball sped down their lane. When all but two pins fell, he grinned as he whirled around to face Jared, returning to the ball return to wait for his ball.

“That was great!” Jared praised with a grin so wide his dimples showed.

“That was way better than I expected,” Jensen admitted. “I haven’t been bowling since my niece’s eighth birthday over two years ago.”

“You have a niece?” Jared asked curiously.

Jensen nodded as his ball slid from the machine and picked it up. “My brother’s daughter.” Still grinning, he retrieved his ball and stepped back up and repeated his movements but stood a bit to the side of their lane. He didn’t know how to curve the ball so it would arc toward the pins so he just bowled straight from the side hoping it wouldn’t slip off the edge into the gutter. Unfortunately, he wasn’t very good at that either and the ball did roll into the gutter before reaching the pins.

“Damn,” Jared said as Jensen returned. “If it makes you feel better, I’ve never been bowling so I don’t think I would have made that either.”

“You haven’t?” Jensen asked. “Why did you suggest this then? Not that I’m complaining! I’m curious.”

Jared chuckled and waved a hand at the apology, understanding. “I thought it’d be fun. And I thought dinner and a movie was overdone and wanted to do something different. And, to be honest… the idea of taking you to dinner and something happening to you like the afternoon we met because of some careless waitress… I didn’t want that to happen. Especially on a first date because I… I really like you, Jensen.”

Jensen’s heart fluttered and his cheeks flushed at hearing Jared admit something Jensen himself felt for the younger man. He was thankful Jared had decided his shoes were far more interesting at that moment so he could compose himself. Carefully, he stepped up to Jared and gently tilted the taller man’s chin up to make Jared meet his eyes, smiling gently.

“I appreciate the concern, Jared,” he said. “And I like you, too. If you wanted to bowl on a first date instead of dinner because you were worried, I understand. To be honest, I was a little afraid of the same thing happening, too, even though I rarely have problems when I go out. But if it makes you feel any better, I’ve always got my bracelet” – he held up his left wrist to show Jared his silver alert bracelet – “and two EpiPens with me, and I’m always careful. And even if something like that _did_ happen, it wouldn’t keep me from wanting to see you again.”

Jared’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in surprise before he recovered himself. “Really?”

Jensen nodded. “Really really.”

Jared laughed, bringing his hands up to rest on Jensen’s hips without thinking about it. “Dude, did you just quote _Shrek_?”

Jensen shrugged with a grin. “I have nieces and nephews. Safe to say I’ve had to see plenty of children’s movies.”

Jared chuckled then glanced up at the monitor above their lane that displayed their scores then grinned as he stepped away. “I bet I can get a strike,” he said as he picked a green ball.

“Oh, you do, do you?” Jensen chuckled, stepping back down to the tile to give Jared space to bowl. “And what if you don’t get a strike?”

“I’ll pay for our next date whether I choose the activity or not,” Jared said without hesitation.

“You’re on, Padalecki,” Jensen said, crossing his arms with a grin.

Jared didn’t get a strike, and Jensen decided he wouldn’t make Jared pay for whatever their next date was.

They bowled two games, each winning one, and decided to leave it a tie instead of bowling a third. Between rounds, they’d talk and joke and Jared even bought nachos and sodas for the two of them. It wasn’t the same as having had dinner somewhere, but they both agreed it was a fun date.

On the drive back to Jensen’s, they made plans for a second date the following weekend. When Jensen questioned how Jared managed to get two Saturdays in a row, Jared explained that he had four nine-hour shifts that week before being put on a twelve-on, twelve-off schedule the following week. But if he had to, he’d switch with someone to get weekends off since Jensen taught all week. Jensen countered that Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays were acceptable evenings to do something if Jared wound up with one of those nights off since Jensen didn’t have his night class those nights.

Jared walked Jensen up to the porch, not missing the way Jensen fiddled with his keys as they stood there.

“Would you like to come in?” he finally offered, gesturing to the door with his keys.

Jared smiled apologetically and shook his head. “I really would like to – I don’t want the evening to end either – but my first nine-hour shift for the week is tomorrow morning. Maybe we could do something tomorrow night,” he suggested.

Jensen furrowed his brow in confusion. “Won’t you be tired?”

Jared shrugged with a warm smile. “Not too tired to see you.”

Jensen felt his cheeks flush at the compliment and nodded. “Tomorrow then. Goodnight, Jared.” He still made no move to unlock the door.

Jared huffed that nervous laugh Jensen liked so much. Then, without warning, he stepped forward, raising his hands to cup Jensen’s face as he leaned toward him. Jensen’s heart seized in anticipation, forcing a small involuntary gasp just before Jared’s lips pressed to his, his eyes slipping shut. Jensen immediately kissed back, pressing his lips into Jared’s in an assurance that yes, he wanted that kiss too, his own eyes falling shut at the pleasant sensations having Jared so close wrought.

As he pressed his own lips to Jared’s, he slid his free hand up his shoulder and around to the back of Jared’s neck, lightly curling his fingers into the ends of Jared’s hair. Jensen nearly moaned at the feeling of the silky strands between his fingers. He’d wanted to get his hands in Jared’s hair since the moment he met the taller man. Well, since the _second_ time he met Jared; he’d been too busy regaining the ability to _breathe_ the first time.

He’d barely had the chance to kiss back when Jared was slowly removing his lips from Jensen’s, gently ending the kiss. Jensen’s eyes fluttered open to see Jared taking a step back, and his hand curled around the keys he held. Before he could stop from embarrassing himself, a small whine of frustration pulled from his chest. That kiss had ended too damn soon!

Jared chuckled and stepped down the first step off the porch then turned back to Jensen with a small grin. “Goodnight, Jensen,” he said before turning and descending the rest of the steps to the sidewalk and crossing to his car.

Jensen watched Jared pull out of the driveway and disappear down the street, one hand still raised in a fist around his keys, the other coming up to touch his lips, still tingling from Jared’s kiss.

“Goodnight, Jared,” he whispered even though he could no longer see Jared’s car.


	5. Chapter 5

Trying to get together during the following week was nearly impossible. Jensen worked all day on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Jared worked his nine-hour night shifts Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. They settled for texting throughout the week and called when they could, promising to do something the following Saturday which Jared managed to have off.

It took Jensen all week to muster up the courage to invite Jared to his place for their next date. He’d been thinking about what Danneel said before his bowling date with Jared. About how Jared was a paramedic and knew how to help him if he happened to come into contact with his allergens, and how that rarely happened when he wasn’t at home anyway because he was so careful. But he also knew that Jared might still be anxious about going to a restaurant, so he thought dinner at Jensen’s – where everything was safe for him – might ease Jared’s worries about dinner for the evening.

When he finally did invite Jared to his place for dinner Saturday evening, Jared agreed with no hesitation. That didn’t stop the knot of anxiety that lodged itself in Jensen’s stomach from the moment he read Jared’s text of agreement. What if Jared didn’t like his house? What if Jared didn’t like what Jensen cooked? What _did_ Jared like? The one time he’d been around Jared while food was involved was his birthday party at Genevieve’s and that had been mostly snack foods or finger foods before the cake.

He spent two hours Saturday afternoon on his computer in his home office on Google, trying to find something that he thought Jared might like. It worried him that he had no idea what kind of foods Jared liked, but he reminded himself that they’d only really been seeing each other for a week. He’d learn what Jared did and didn’t like when it came to foods eventually.

Finally settling on something that sounded simple to cook and seemed like something Jared might like – not that Jensen had any basis for Jared’s tastes in food – he rushed to the store and hurried through the aisles to gather his ingredients. Unfortunately, the store was packed with families out for weekly grocery runs, older couples that Jensen felt moved too slowly then felt horrible for thinking such a thing, and other shoppers that seemed to be in just as much of a hurry as he was. Then he somehow managed to pick the longest line at the registers, and when he got to the front, he realized it was because the cashier was new and had no idea what she was doing, an older cashier training her as they went through each transaction. Again, he felt sorry for being impatient and told himself to stop worrying about his date with Jared so much. Jared already liked him, so there was no reason to try to impress the younger man.

By the time he made it home, he had less than an hour until Jared arrived and he still had to shower and get ready. Chewing his lip in indecision, he left the groceries on the island counter, pulled out the necessary pots and spoons required to cook, and decided they would cook it _together_.

He hoped Jared liked cooking.

Dinner taken care of, Jensen hurried upstairs to the master suite and quickly rifled through his closet. Unlike their last date, he had no time to obsess over his outfit, so he just pulled out the first button down he could find – a burgundy-colored thing Danneel had bought him last Christmas. Frankly, he didn’t think it was his color, but he didn’t have time to be picky tonight. A pair of dark wash jeans and underwear dug from his dresser later, he was hastily jumping into the quickest shower he’d ever taken.

Just as he was buttoning the last button of his shirt, he heard the doorbell ring through the house. He glanced at his reflection in the steamed-up mirror and frowned as he ran his fingers through his hair to make it look neat since he didn’t have time to style it, then hurried downstairs just as the bell rang again.

The front door was only a couple of feet from the bottom of the stairs. It was made of dark wood and the center consisted of a rectangle window with glass etched with a pattern of lines and curls, matching the rectangular windows on either side of it and across the top that created an ornate frame. As Jensen stepped off the last step, he could see Jared through the patterned glass and froze, breath catching in his chest.

He was turned away from the glass, probably idly looking around while he waited for Jensen to answer. His hair had been slicked back and he wore a blue flannel shirt, but his appearance wasn’t what had caught Jensen’s attention. He could see a bouquet of flowers in the taller man’s grasp, but it wasn’t the usual bouquet wrapped in plastic. Jared held a small _pot_ of flowers.

Forcing himself to remember to breathe, Jensen quickly descended the last step and crossed to open the door. As it opened, Jared finally turned back, grinning wide enough to make his dimples show when he saw the older man.

“Jensen,” he breathed in greeting and Jensen decided he liked the breathy, rushed way Jared sometimes said his name. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Jensen said with a warm smile as he stepped back. “Come in.”

Jared nodded his thanks as he stepped in onto the entryway rug and off to the side so Jensen could close the door. Once he had, he held out the pot in offering.

“I, um… I know it’s not typical to bring your date flowers that are already in a pot or vase, but… I saw your flowers out front when I picked you up last week, and I thought maybe you liked to garden?” he said, ending it on a higher, unsure note which made it sound more like a question before quickly finishing. “So I got you something you could easily replant if you wanted.”

Jensen felt himself smile so wide his cheeks almost hurt, heart nearly aching with gratitude at the meaningful gesture as he carefully took the pot from Jared’s grasp. “I do, and I know exactly where I can put these later. Thank you.”

Jared nodded again, ducking his head and looking down at their feet, his booted against Jensen’s bare. “Oh, do you want me to take off my boots?” he asked.

“If you don’t mind,” Jensen said with a nod, stepping off the rug to allow Jared room. “I have wood floors through the entire house and…”

“No, I get it,” Jared said, arranging his boots on the shoe rack nicely next to a pair of Jensen’s winter boots. “They’re a pain to keep clean and unscuffed.”

Jensen nodded then turned and passed the stairs to the open dining room to place the flowers on one end of the dining table before turning to Jared across the open space. Before he could say anything, Jared began speaking.

“I like the open floor plan,” he said, looking around. “The staircase where it is blocks the view of the kitchen from the front door, and even though your office doesn’t have a doorway, they kind of created one with the break in the wall there, giving it the feeling of walking into _one_ room and then, boom, you got the open kitchen and dining room.”

Jensen chuckled at the praise and nodded his agreement. “That’s why I picked the house. I like being able to see through while clearly defining spaces.”

Jared nodded and finally crossed to the dining area to stand near Jensen. With the kitchen in full view, he glanced around curiously, taking in the open area. The island and bar stools separated the kitchen space to the right from the dining space to the left. The kitchen consisted of an L-shaped counter along the exterior and back walls and the refrigerator to the right along the wall that hid most of the staircase except the few steps at the bottom where the banister was attached to the wall. The dining room seemed only to be a long, rectangular table surrounded by chairs near the sliding glass back door, but Jensen had decorated the space well.

Jensen saw Jared’s brows furrow in confusion as his gaze landed on the ingredient laden island and quickly spoke up to explain.

“I didn’t know what you’d like and spent all afternoon searching recipes for something and by the time I got back from the grocery store, I didn’t have time to cook _and_ shower and dress. I figured we could cook together?” he finished, ending on that same unsure, questioning note Jared had a moment ago.

Jared’s eyes lit up with understanding at the explanation, and he nodded. “That sounds fun, actually. Though I gotta warn you, I’m not very good at cooking. I mostly live off of things I can microwave or things like mac and cheese that come in a box with instructions, and even that’s a gamble.”

Jensen chuckled and slipped Jared’s hand into his to guide him around the island and into the kitchen proper. “That’s alright. This is supposed to be a fairly easy recipe.”

Curiously, Jared rifled through the packages, grinning when he saw them. “I’m not sure exactly what it is we’re making, but I can tell you picked something that’ll be delicious.”

“I wasn’t sure about the sun-dried tomatoes and spinach,” Jensen admitted, moving to fill the pot he’d put on the stove with water to boil for the gnocchi that went into the dish. “This recipe also had mushrooms which I took the liberty of omitting because I don’t like them,” he said, wrinkling his nose for emphasis.

Jared did the same, nodding. “Good call. I like spinach, but I’m not a fan of any kind of tomatoes.”

Chuckling, Jensen offered Jared a package of chicken sausage. “We can leave out the tomatoes, too. While the water boils, we’re supposed to sauté this.”

Jared nodded and took the package, stepping up to the skillet Jensen had placed on the stove. He tore open the package and let the sausage fall into the skillet then turned from side to side, obviously looking for something.

“Uh, where’s your garbage?” he asked before Jensen could ask what he was looking for.

“Oh, here,” he said, pulling on the knob of a tall door under the island, which pulled out a shelf at the base of the unit that held the trashcan.

“Cool,” Jared praised, dropping the packaging into it and moving to wash his hands while Jensen nudged the compartment closed again. “I bet that keeps the kitchen from smelling like garbage.”

“Until I need to change it and open the drawer, effectively _releasing_ the smell,” Jensen agreed with a chuckle.

“True,” Jared agreed, returning to the stove to tend to the sausage. “So, what do we do next?”

“We wait until we can put the gnocchi in the water and until the sausage is cooked to add the spinach and the spices,” Jensen explained, coming to stand beside Jared at the stove to watch over the sausage and water.

To stand together at the stove, they were practically pressed together from shoulder to hip. It reminded Jensen of the day Jared had held him upright out to the ambulance, and he suddenly wanted Jared’s arm around him again. Desperate for a distraction, he cleared his throat and stepped away to the fridge.

“Would you like a drink? I have beer or wine,” he offered.

“Either is good,” Jared said, using the wooden spoon Jensen had laid out to nudge the sausage around so it wouldn’t burn. “I like both.”

“I think wine goes better with dinner. Not that I know much about pairing wine with food. Beer is good with burgers, I know,” Jensen said, setting a bottle of white wine on the island and moving to a cabinet next to the fridge where the glasses were kept. Drinking glasses and coffee mugs were on the bottom two shelves while wine glasses were at the top because he rarely drank wine. This meant he had to stand on his tiptoes to reach them.

Jared watched as Jensen reached up to the top shelf of the cupboard, the action making the hem of his shirt ride up. It wasn’t enough to bare any skin, but it _was_ enough to expose Jensen’s jean-clad ass. Just as Jensen pulled down two glasses, Jared averted his gaze, feeling his cheeks flush.

“Yeah, um-” He cleared his throat. “I don’t know anything about that either. So, do you cook much?” he asked then quickly amended with, “I mean, I’m sure you do since it’s just _you_ here but do you cook things as complex as this or…? Not that this is complex, I just mean-”

“Are you asking if I actually _prepare_ meals or do I live off of frozen dinners and boxed food like you?” Jensen teased with a chuckle as he poured wine into the two glasses.

“Uh, yeah, that’s what I meant,” Jared said, huffing that nervous laugh again and pushing a hand through his hair.

“I’m usually at the college until after five on nights I don’t have a night class so I find things like this that can be made in thirty minutes. Not frozen but still quick and easy,” he explained, offering Jared one of the glasses. “But I _do_ know how to actually cook when I have the time.”

Jared nodded his understanding as he took his glass. He took a sip before asking, “Do you like to cook? Or is it a necessary part of living alone?”

Jensen shrugged, taking a sip of his own wine then cradling the bowl of his glass in his palm and gently swirling the liquid inside. “I actually enjoy it. I like to cook and bake, taking parts and making something delicious out of them.”

Jared nodded his understanding as he kept the sausage moving, glancing at the water pot. “I think the water’s boiling.”

Jensen peered around Jared at the pot of water which, yes, was now boiling. He set his glass near the back of the counter so it wouldn’t be accidentally bumped then turned to the island behind them to pick up the gnocchi. After emptying the package’s contents into the water, he carelessly tossed it onto the island then turned to a nearby drawer for a plastic spaghetti spoon to carefully move the gnocchi around in the water. When he glanced up at Jared, he saw the taller man staring at the discarded gnocchi package.

“What?” he asked.

“You just seemed like the clean-as-I-go type to me,” Jared explained with a chuckle. “And here you are, just tossing garbage onto the counter.”

Jensen chuckled and tapped the spoon against the pot before laying it on the counter and moving to dispose of the gnocchi package. “It’s a plastic wrapper, not a raw meat covered package. It’ll keep long enough for me to have stirred the pasta.”

Jared only chuckled then prodded at the sausage again. “I think this is finished, too. Want to check it?”

Jensen turned back to Jared and leaned around him to gently take the wooden spoon to examine the sausage himself. This pressed his chest against one side of Jared’s back, his free hand coming up to rest on Jared’s opposite shoulder to keep himself steady. Belatedly, he realized he’d just put himself in contact with Jared again, a situation he’d avoided by pouring their wine.

“It is,” he said lamely, stepping away and returning to the island, clearing his throat to keep his voice from coming out too raspy though he guessed Jared would suspect something from the gesture anyway. “Now we just add everything to that. The gnocchi will go in once it’s finished. I’ll just pass you the items to put in,” he said, holding up the package of spinach in offering.

Jared nodded with a smile and took the package, shaking the spinach leaves into the sausage pan. While he did that, Jensen mixed the measured amounts of the spices the recipe called for in a small ramekin then passed that to Jared to add. Once everything was combined, Jensen returned to stir the gnocchi while Jared minded the meat mixture.

“Did you know the purpose of the hole in a spaghetti spoon is to measure a single portion of pasta?” he said, holding up the spoon to show Jared the hole then mentally kicked himself because that was a stupid thing to say.

Jared’s brows rose in surprise and he chuckled. “I didn’t. That’s kinda cool. I never know how much to make. I’m gonna use that now,” he said, pointing at the spoon.

When the gnocchi was finished, Jensen drained it in a mesh strainer in the sink which he then rested in the lip of the pot to transport back to the stove.

“Watch out,” he warned as he lifted the strainer from the pot to tip the gnocchi into the meat mixture. “Mix please,” he instructed before sprinkling in Parmesan cheese.

Jared chuckled as he did so. “You’re bossy,” he teased. “And short,” he added with a snicker.

Jensen rolled his eyes, grinning in amusement. “I’ll have you know I am six-foot-one. I’m only short because _you_ are so tall.”

“Only three inches taller than you,” Jared countered with a dismissive shrug, still grinning to show Jensen he was teasing.

Jensen snorted as he moved away to collect plates and silverware to put onto the dining table. He couldn’t stop grinning as he did so.

“Is this done then?” Jared asked, turning to see Jensen across the room.

“Yeah, you can take it off the heat,” Jensen said as he crossed back into the kitchen.

“You took the plates,” Jared said.

“I did,” Jensen agreed with a grin as he knelt to fish something out of a bottom cupboard, coming back up with a plain white serving bowl. “I thought we’d just put it all in a serving dish and serve from the table.”

“I like that idea,” Jared agreed as he carefully poured their meal into the bowl which Jensen held steady for him. “Where are your serving spoons?”

“Drawer to the right of the stove,” Jensen said, taking the bowl to the table.

While he hadn’t had the time to put out candles and set the mood with music, Jensen felt pleased with how dinner turned out as they ate side-by-side. He’d set a place at the head of the table and Jared to his right so they could be next to one another but at an angle that allowed them to converse fluidly. He’d occasionally feel Jared’s knee bump his under the table or feel Jared’s toes brush his when the taller man moved his foot without realizing how close to Jensen’s it was.

When they were finished, Jared helped clean up, putting the meal in a storage container to put in the fridge while Jensen rinsed dishes to put into the dishwasher. After the cleanup was finished, he found himself at a loss. He didn’t want Jared to leave already; he’d only been over a little over an hour and they’d just had dinner. Glancing into the living area, an idea struck.

“Would you like to stay for a movie?” he asked, turning back to Jared.

Jared only hesitated a split second before nodding with a small smile. “Sure.”

Jensen directed Jared on how to navigate his television to start Netflix and told him to pick whatever movie he wanted while Jensen refreshed their wine glasses then turned on the light above the stove to keep them from being in pitch black when he turned out the overhead lights so they wouldn’t glare on the TV. As the movie played and they drank their wine, Jensen found himself less focused on the movie and more focused on Jared’s presence at his side.

And then he made the mistake of actually _looking_ at Jared.

When Jensen glanced at Jared, he saw the light of the TV flickering against his face. It wasn’t like a sunset or lamplight shining over Jared like a halo, but the sight of Jared’s handsome face bathed in the light of the TV made Jensen’s breath catch. And maybe it was the glass and a half of wine he’d had, but suddenly, he felt brave enough to give in to the urge to kiss Jared.

He leaned forward to set his empty glass on the coffee table then sat back, purposely angling himself to face Jared instead of the screen which got the other man’s attention. Jared turned to glance at Jensen curiously, and Jensen took his chance.

Carefully because he didn’t want to break Jared’s nose with his or bruise Jared’s lips in a too harsh kiss, Jensen leaned forward and pressed his lips to Jared’s. He heard Jared sigh as the taller man’s lips moved against his own. Encouraged by the positive reaction, Jensen did what he’d been wanting to all night – he pushed his hands up into Jared’s hair, using the hold to tug Jared closer, deepening the kiss.

Jared’s hands found their way to Jensen’s hips and pulled the smaller man closer. Now pressed together from chest to hips, Jensen became aware of Jared’s body heat and his hands slipped down to Jared’s shoulders then his arms snaked around Jared’s neck to pull their bodies even closer. Jared responded to the action by allowing his arms to wrap around Jensen’s back.

While they pressed their bodies as close as they could, their mouths mimicked the action, lips pressing more firmly in a kiss that was just this side of bruising just before Jensen ended it to take a much-needed breath. Jared didn’t allow him much of a break before one hand was up at the back of his head, tangling in his hair to tug Jensen forward for another kiss that was just as eager as the last.

Jensen let himself be pulled into another kiss and slipped one of his hands between their chests to push Jared back until the taller man was lying against the arm of the couch. To keep from twisting himself in an awkward position with his legs still down in front of the couch, Jared was forced to adjust, slipping one leg around Jensen to rest along the sofa back. The position let Jensen settle between Jared’s thighs, their hips slotting together. The action pulled a moan from Jensen, and he unconsciously ground his hips down into Jared’s.

Jared broke the kiss to gasp as he rolled his hips up against the smaller man’s. “Jensen,” he breathed through a tingle of pleasure radiating from their joined hips.

Jensen chuckled and kissed down Jared’s jaw to nibble at his neck, rolling his hips down into Jared’s again.

They continued like that, kissing and rutting against each other with their movie completely forgotten. At some point, Jared’s hands found their way onto Jensen’s ass, helping guide their rocking hips into a steadier rhythm. Jensen groaned as his jeans became uncomfortably snug around his groin, burying his face against Jared’s shoulder, one of his hands gripping the fabric of Jared’s shirt.

“Jared,” he groaned, shuddering as a wave of pleasure washed over him. “Jared, we have to stop, or… or I’m going to…”

Jared grunted as he flexed his hips up into Jensen’s again with no intention of stopping. “Jensen,” he moaned, shuddering beneath the smaller man. “Jensen…”

“Jen,” the smaller man breathed, rolling his hips down along Jared’s with a groan.

“What?” Jared panted, hips momentarily stopping in his confusion.

“You can… call me Jen,” Jensen explained between pants.

“Jen,” Jared groaned, his hands gripping Jensen’s ass tighter to hold their hips flush against each other, shuddering as his climax washed over him, a moan falling from his lips.

Jensen wasn’t far behind, hand fisting into Jared’s shirt as his own climax took him, a prolonged grunt pulling from his chest as his hips moved in a circular motion against Jared’s through the aftershocks.

When both came down from their orgasms, they lay together, panting for breath. Jared’s hands moved from Jensen’s ass to wrap around his back, one trailing lazily up and down his spine. When he chuckled softly, Jensen lifted his head from Jared’s shoulder to frown in confusion at him.

“What?” he asked.

Jared shook his head. “Nothing, just… I feel like a horny teenager, desperately dry humping then coming too quickly in my pants.”

Jensen smiled slightly in a mixture of agreement and apology. “I swear I had only intended to _kiss_ you. I didn’t mean for us to…” He gestured toward their joined hips. “And I _did_ try to warn you.”

“It’s okay,” Jared assured with another shake of his head. “I’m not complaining. Though, unfortunately, this does mean I should probably go. This is going to dry and get uncomfortable. We both need to change.”

Jensen frowned and glanced at the movie that was still playing. He hadn’t thought his actions through completely. Though he really couldn’t complain. “Yeah, you’re probably right,” he finally admitted, carefully pushing away from Jared to sit at the other end of the couch to allow the other man to get up. He reached over and picked up the remote to stop the movie then rose with Jared and walked with him to the door where Jared pulled on his boots.

“Thanks for dinner,” Jared said as he straightened. “I liked being able to share a meal with you without worrying something was going to happen. I’m sorry I do that, by the way…”

Jensen shook his head with a warm smile. “I understand, Jared. And I know that you’ll eventually stop worrying, but I’m not in any rush. Obviously, we can still share meals together.”

Jared smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He stepped forward and gently took Jensen’s face between his hands and leaned in for a gentle kiss more like their last date than the making out they had just been doing.

Just like last time, Jensen felt the kiss had been too short when it ended, and Jared gave him a knowing smile.

“Goodnight, Jen,” Jared said, stepping toward the door.

“Goodnight, Jared,” Jensen said, watching through the glass as Jared got into his car then pulled out of the driveway.

The click of the lock as Jensen turned it once Jared had left was oddly satisfying. Like the mark of one of the best dates Jensen had ever had.


	6. Chapter 6

Over the next few weeks, as mid-July eased into the end of the month, they managed to find some semblance of a routine that fit the two of them. Despite the change in routine from day to day, Jensen’s overall schedule was predictable, so they really only had to work around Jared’s. Between Jared’s twelve-hour shifts, they’d sneak in dinner or breakfast, depending on the time of day Jared got off work, before he went home to crash for several hours. Dinners always occurred at home, but Jensen had convinced Jared that breakfast was a very nut-free, safe event. The paramedic’s anxiety – which he knew was irrational; he knew how to save Jensen if the other man encountered an allergen – lessened. He still wasn’t sure about going out for other meals, but both men liked the intimacy of cooking together anyway.

After their first dinner at Jensen’s, cooking dinner together became sacred. Most of the time, these nights took place at Jensen’s because his home had a larger kitchen than Jared’s apartment. They could both fit and work comfortably in Jensen’s kitchen, but Jensen had surprised the younger man a few times by coming over with ingredients for a meal they could cook together after Jared’s long shifts. They experimented with things they found online just like that first night, altering recipes to fit their tastes which they quickly realized were very similar. Sometimes, the meal didn’t turn out quite right, and they wound up ordering pizza or Chinese which they shared cuddled up on the sofa in front of a movie which, more often than not, was abandoned in favor of making out.

When Jared was on a week of nine-hour shifts instead of twelves and got two days off in a row, he’d get his much-needed sleep, then spend as much time with Jensen as the professor’s schedule would allow. When he couldn’t be with Jensen, he made time for his family and friends. Weekends were always the best because Jensen had two full days off, and the two would spend as much time with one another as possible if Jared got lucky enough to get part or all of a weekend off. They’d spend time with Jared’s friends. Jensen quickly found himself liking Misha, and thought of the quirky older man as one of his friends, too.

Dinner and a movie between the two of them became a common thing when they could spend late nights together, but when they had a day to share, their activities varied because they often went out, doing some of their favorite things with each other. Jared showed Jensen the park he liked to run through when it wasn’t too hot, and Jensen took Jared to his favorite ice cream place after. Jensen took Jared to a museum he liked to visit, and Jared took him to a bar that had special music nights that he liked to attend when he could.

Despite spending so much time together, neither had spent a full night at the other’s home; they just weren’t ready for that yet. Still, each had managed to worm their way into the other’s space. Jared’s favorite snacks had made it onto Jensen’s weekly grocery list for movie nights, and anything with nuts was cut out of Jared’s. Except for Nutella which Jared loved, but he was careful to keep sealed and away from anything Jensen might be eating because of the hazelnuts, and he made sure that any utensils he used that touched the peanut butter were cleaned off immediately before going anywhere near the rest of his utensils.

It wasn’t easy, but they managed to find time together around their schedules. Until July turned into August, and Jensen was required to spend more time at the college due to finals for the summer semester and prepping for the fall semester which began at the end of the month. Suddenly, the only free time the professor had came on weekends, and Jared only got one or two full weekends a month, getting a Saturday or Sunday here or there. By the time they were in mid-August, they hadn’t seen each other in almost three full weeks. Throughout their busy schedules, they’d managed to find time to call or text one another regularly, but words on a screen and a short phone conversation weren’t the same as real company. Jared was starting to feel as lonely as he had been before he’d met Jensen, a depression settling over him the longer they were apart.

He lay awake late one night after a twelve-hour shift, sprawled across his bed because it was too hot to be under the blanket, staring at the ceiling because his mind wouldn’t shut up long enough for him to sleep. For most of his shift, calls had been routine. Until an hour and a half before the end of his shift when they got a call about a man having an allergic reaction. Immediately, Jared’s mind supplied an image of Jensen gasping for breath, or trembling and weary afterward. But when they’d arrived on the scene, it wasn’t Jensen – of _course_ it wasn’t Jensen, the paramedic had berated himself for being so paranoid – but he couldn’t seem to calm down completely after that call.

Jared sighed and reached for his phone to check the time, pressing the button to make it light up. A picture he’d taken with Jensen at the professor’s home the last time they’d cooked dinner filled the screen; both of them were smiling, and Jensen’s eyes were so bright and full of life, crinkled at the corners. At the sight of the man he was quickly falling for, an overwhelming need to check for himself that Jensen was okay filled Jared. Fingers trembling lightly, he tapped in his passcode – the anniversary of their first date – and navigated to their ongoing text conversation.

_[Message sent to Jensen at 11:25pm] u awake?_

After he sent it, he felt a little guilty for bothering the older man. He knew Jensen would have gotten home from the college a couple hours earlier, but he couldn’t be positive the professor was awake. What if he was sleeping and Jared’s text woke him? The last thing Jared wanted was to anger the person he needed most right now. Thankfully, an incoming text made his phone vibrate only a few seconds later.

_[Message received from Jensen at 11:25pm] Yep. Grading finals. I swear some of these kids didn’t even study. -_-_

Jared chuckled at the complaint, imagining Jensen’s full lips pooched out into a frustrated pout. He imagined kissing away a furrowed brow. Before he could formulate what to say in response, his phone vibrated again.

_[Message received from Jensen at 11:26pm] Btw, are you okay? You don’t usually get sloppy in your texts unless something’s bothering you._

Jared wanted to sob at how well Jensen knew him, that he’d noticed how Jared didn’t spell out _one_ word or use capitalization and knew it was because the younger man was upset. Heart aching with affection for the other man, Jared knew what he wanted to say, and he quickly typed a response.

_[Message sent to Jensen at 11:27pm] no can i call?_

He didn’t have to wait with anxiety long before Jensen responded. Instead of a response text, a new picture of just Jensen grinning at the camera filled the screen accompanied by his name. Jared forced himself to remain calm as he accepted the call the older man initiated instead of just telling Jared to call him – fuck, Jensen cared so much.

“Hey,” he said quietly, feeling silly for having needed to hear Jensen’s voice and making the other man call him.

 _“Jay?”_ Jensen said, using the name only Gen had called him until recently; Jensen had taken to using it shortly after their first dinner date when he’d told Jared to call him Jen. _“Hey, you okay?”_

“I, um…” Jared swallowed around the lump in his throat; Jensen was okay! He was talking which meant he was breathing. He’s. _Fine!_

 _“Jared, talk to me,”_ Jensen pleaded in a soothing voice. _“Whatever’s bothering you, I want to help.”_

Jared turned onto his side and curled up into a ball, almost losing the battle not to cry at the worry lacing Jensen’s voice. “I, um… I had a call today… They said a guy around your age had an allergic reaction, and I knew you were at the school and nowhere near where the call came from, but…”

 _“You thought_ _of_ _me,”_ Jensen finished knowingly when Jared couldn’t. When Jared could only sob once in response, Jensen continued speaking in soothing tones. _“Oh, Jay, I’m fine, I promise.”_

“I-I know,” Jared croaked, wiping at his eyes as tears slipped down his cheeks. “You’re talking just fine which means you’re breathing properly and it wasn’t you and I know I’m overreacting, but… It’s like college all over again,” he whispered. “I really like you, Jen, and sometimes, I worry that something’s going to happen to you, too, while I’m not around.”

 _“It’s okay to worry, Jay,”_ Jensen soothed. _“How can I help? What will help you not to worry whenever we’re not together?”_

An involuntary laugh pulled from Jared’s chest. He’d wanted to hear Jensen’s voice because he was irrationally worried about the other man which made him feel stupid and pathetic. Yet Jensen wasn’t treating him as either of those things. Jensen sounded like he genuinely wanted to help him feel better. So, it was a lot easier for Jared to admit what he wanted this time than when he’d asked to call Jensen.

“I don’t know, but for now, can you just… Can you just talk to me?” he said, still nervous enough about needing to hear Jensen that it came out more like a question. “Just talk so I can hear that you’re still okay, please?”

 _“You got it, Jay,”_ Jensen promised, and Jared imagined him smiling that soft smile that conveyed how much he cared.

For the next half hour, Jensen read his students’ finals to Jared. The class he’d been grading was his short stories class, so it was almost like Jensen was reading him bedtime stories. Now and then, Jensen would pause to actually grade the story like he was supposed to before they continued. By the time they’d read through five or six of them, Jared’s eyes were heavy, and he found the time it took them to open after blinking was getting longer and longer.

“Jen?” he slurred when the other man finished the last story, silent while he graded. “M’sleepy.”

Jensen chuckled. _“Sleep, Jay.”_

“Can we hang out again?” Jared murmured as he wiggled around to get comfortable again. “Miss you.”

 _“Of course. I miss you, too. I’m sorry I’ve been so busy,”_ Jensen said, sounding truly apologetic. _“But summer finals are over, so my schedule shouldn’t be so full now that I’ve only got one semester’s worth of classes to deal with. And actually, I’ve been meaning to ask you if you wanted to meet my family.”_

“Your family?” Jared repeated.

 _“Yeah, Mom’s been asking me when she’ll get to meet my boyfriend,”_ Jensen explained.

“Boyfriend?” Jared mentally winced at his inability form full responses instead of just repeating what Jensen said.

Jensen laughed, and the sound made Jared smile. _“Yeah, boyfriend. She seems to think that’s what we are. I’d like to be if you do, Jay.”_

“I like the sound of that,” Jared agreed.

 _“So, are you up for meeting my family?”_ Jensen asked; by the tone of his voice, Jared imagined him still smiling brightly. _“I mean, I know we haven’t talked about meeting the families yet, but I really like you, Jared, and I’m serious about us, so…”_

“I’d like that,” Jared finally decided. “When?”

 _“I know it’s short notice, but do you happen to have this Saturday off?”_ Jensen asked in response.

“Yeah, I do. You’ve been so busy that I didn’t say anything,” Jared said quietly.

 _“I’m really sorry, Jay,”_ Jensen said again. _“But, um, you up for coming to my parents’ place for an end-of-summer barbecue?”_

“Yeah, that sounds nice,” Jared agreed before yawning so wide that his eye watered.

Jensen chuckled at him again. _“Go to sleep, Jay. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”_

“Hmkay,” Jared murmured. “Night, Jen.”

_“Night, Jay.”_

For the first time in the last few weeks, Jared felt more like himself, and he fell asleep quickly.

Jared shifted nervously in the passenger seat of Jensen’s car, tugging at one of the legs of his swim trunks then pushed his hair back behind his ears. As promised, Jensen had called him the morning after his panic attack to talk about the barbecue and had told Jared to wear swim trunks because his parents had a pool they’d be using before his dad covered it up for fall and winter. Jensen wore a similar outfit – swim trunks and t-shirt, sandals, and sunglasses. His boyfriend (and Jared almost couldn’t believe they’d put a label to what they were) being so calm only helped keep Jared calm a tiny bit.

He was meeting Jensen’s _family!_

“Jay, relax,” Jensen soothed, reaching over to take the hand Jared had resting on his thigh. “They’ll love you. You saved my life,” he added with a grin. No matter how many times Jared argued that _Danneel_ had done that with the EpiPen, Jensen continued to insist that they met because Jared saved his life.

“If that’s what they think, they’re going to be horribly disappointed by me,” Jared mumbled. “I’m not as special as that makes me sound.”

“You’re awesome, Jay,” Jensen countered, giving his hand one final squeeze before returning it to the wheel to navigate a turn onto a street filled with cars. He expertly pulled into a space left in the driveway of one of the homes and shut off the car. Instead of immediately getting out, he leaned back in his seat and eyed his boyfriend. “You okay to do this? I can take you home if you’re not.”

Jared immediately shook his head. “No, no, I’m good. I do want to do this. It’s just… meeting the parents is a big deal, right? And I’m not saying I’m not as serious about us as you – I _am_ – but… no matter how much you say they’ll like me, I’m still nervous.”

“It’s okay to be nervous,” Jensen assured, leaning across the middle console enough to wrap his arms around Jared’s neck and tug him in for a quick kiss. “But they’ll love you.”

Jared nodded and gave Jensen a quick kiss of his own then pulled away. “Okay,” he said with a determined breath. “I’m ready.”

They exited the car, and Jensen directed Jared away from the front path toward the side of the house where a gate opened up to the backyard. The sound of music, chatter, splashing water, and laughter floated on the air, and when they entered the yard, Jared was a bit overwhelmed at the crowd. Then he realized the number of people was about the same as a Padalecki family gathering with his siblings, their spouses, and children. With that thought, the crowd didn’t seem so intimidating.

“Jensen!”

Jared turned to see a woman he had no doubt was Jensen’s mother crossing the patio toward them. She enveloped her son in a firm hug then pulled away to hold her arms out to Jared. The paramedic shyly returned the hug, but the firm way Mrs. Ackles held him reminded him of his mother, and he found himself relaxing just as she let go.

“You must be Jared,” she said, holding onto his hands for a moment and grinning up at him. “Jensen talks about you all the time.”

“Ma,” Jensen groaned in embarrassment.

Mrs. Ackles chuckled then stepped away. “I’m Donna, by the way. My husband Alan is watching the grill,” she said, pointing to the grill set up on the patio. “Burgers and hotdogs should be done soon. Please, help yourself to any of the snacks and refreshments.”

“Grandma!” a child called, and they all turned to see a dripping wet girl around the age of ten running across the patio.

“Abby,” Donna said in a warning tone. “What did Grandma and Grandpa say about running by the pool?”

“Sorry,” she said, slowing down as she neared them. “Will you come get in with us?”

“Of course. Come on,” she said with a grin, taking the girl’s hand.

As they turned to walk back to the pool, Abby turned to wave and grin. “Hi, Uncle Jensen!” she called.

Jensen chuckled and waved back. “Hi, Abby!” He turned to Jared, still grinning. “That’s my niece, Abigail; we call her Abby. She’s my brother’s oldest.”

Jared nodded, smiling fondly as “Uncle Jensen” repeated in his head. He liked the sound of that. “She’s cute.”

“Her brother Liam is there with my brother and sister-in-law,” Jensen added, pointing to a boy a few years younger than Abby already in the pool near a man Jared assumed to be Josh Ackles and his wife. “That dude there,” he added, pointing to another man in the pool, “is my brother-in-law. And my sister is over on the patio with my dad.”

Jared turned, noticing another woman – Mackenzie, he remembered Jensen had said was his sister’s name – sitting at the patio table talking to Donna, a baby in her arms.

“That’s Hayden. Their only kid so far,” Jensen explained. So, you want to get in the pool before we eat?” Jensen asked.

Jared nodded and followed Jensen to the patio where Jensen introduced him to his father and sister. They all made small talk while the two removed their t-shirts and sandals, leaving their shirts draped over a chair and their shoes tucked safely under it, then made their way to the pool.

“Uncle Jensen!” Liam called with a grin as they approached the water.

“Hey, buddy,” Jensen greeted as he slipped into the water.

Jared sat on the side with his feet in the water, watching Jensen interact with his siblings and niece and nephew. The other adults in the water stopped by to introduce themselves properly before one of the children inevitably claimed their attention again. He found himself grinning as he watched Jensen play with the children, something warm and pleasant curling low in his belly. What would Jensen be like with their own children? Immediately, Jared pushed that thought away. It was a nice idea, but it was still a bit early to be thinking of things like that.

“Hey,” Jensen called as he gracefully slipped through the water to stand in front of Jared, leaning his arms on the younger man’s lap. “You can come in with us, Jay.”

Jared chuckled and gave in to the urge to run his finger through Jensen’s wet hair, earning a pleased hum from the older man. “I know. I just… I kind of feel like an intruder. I’m new to them, and they all seem to accept me, but…”

Jensen smiled knowingly, but the expression quickly morphed into a playful smirk. He grabbed the hand in his hair and _tugged_ as he moved backward. Jared slipped into the water with a yelp, going under briefly before regaining his footing and standing. He sputtered, pushing wet hair from his face, and glared at Jensen. The older man was laughing, eyes alight with mirth, and Jared found himself smiling in return.

“You’re such a jerk,” he said fondly.

“You look nice all wet, babe,” Jensen said through his laughter then immediately froze at what he’d said. They hadn’t started calling each other any terms of endearment or pet names yet, but Jared realized he liked Jensen calling him “babe.” It made that same warm, fluttery feeling stir up in his belly.

He eased across the water and planted a firm kiss to Jensen’s lips to show his boyfriend he wasn’t upset by the name. “I think I like you calling me that,” he assured.

“Yeah?” Jensen asked, grinning again.

Jared nodded, his own grin mirroring Jensen’s. “Mhm.”

“Lunch is ready!” Alan called from the patio.

The pool quickly emptied, and Jared followed Jensen out, accepting a towel he offered him to dry himself with. They all piled their plates with food and gathered around the table. Jared found himself between Jensen and Abby. The adults all included him in conversation, all polite and pleasant to him, and Jared wondered why he’d ever been nervous to begin with.

“Are you gonna be our uncle, too, now?” Abby asked.

Jared turned wide eyes to Jensen then the little girl, smiling patiently. “Well, right now, I’m your uncle’s friend that likes him a lot, but maybe someday, I’d like to be allowed to be your uncle.”

Abby nodded, satisfied with that answer, and bit into her hotdog, her attention turning to her parents. Jared turned to Jensen to gauge how his boyfriend thought of his answer, tilting his head in confusion at the warm smile he received.

“What?” he asked.

Jensen shook his head. “Nothing.”

Under the table, he felt Jensen’s hand grip his tightly.


	7. Chapter 7

After finding out that Jared had met Jensen’s parents, his mother started nagging him about when he’d be bringing Jensen by to meet them. Unfortunately, the couple barely had time to themselves, let alone seeing others. Jensen was only really free on weekends, but Jared seemed to be working every weekend for the following three months. He did manage to work mainly mornings during the week, so he could see Jensen when the professor got out of class each night, and then they’d see each other Saturday and Sunday mornings before Jared’s shifts, but he worked well into the night, making family dinner impossible.

Jared had started sleeping over at Jensen’s most nights of the week. More of his belongings migrated to the older man’s home, and anything Jensen had left at Jared’s apartment found its way back home. They had more space and privacy at the professor’s home than Jared’s one-bedroom apartment where they could hear his neighbors. Neither seemed to mind this new arrangement – Jensen didn’t mind having Jared in his space so often, and Jared didn’t really miss his apartment.

The lack of any free time together that wasn’t late at night meant date nights (or mornings) were nonexistent. It didn’t matter much to Jared, the paramedic still nervous about taking Jensen anywhere where nuts might pose a threat. He knew it was an irrational fear, but he couldn’t shake it, remembering when he first met Jensen. The memory of that afternoon mixed with the memory of losing his college girlfriend – someone he had loved just as he loved Jensen – and no matter how he told himself that Jensen would be fine, he couldn’t bring himself to go out with his boyfriend if it wasn’t to breakfast.

The week before Thanksgiving, Jared’s mother informed him that he was to bring his boyfriend along to meet the family because it wasn’t fair that he had met Jensen’s parents, but the other man hadn’t met them. Unable to deny his mother, Jared grudgingly agreed to bring it up with Jensen. He was mildly surprised when Jensen agreed to accompany him to his family’s Thanksgiving dinner. They made plans to spend some time with both families for the holiday.

They started with Jensen’s family because their dinner was held in the afternoon. Jared hadn’t seen the Ackles since their end-of-summer barbecue a few months prior. He was surprised to be met with the same excited greetings Jensen had received the first time he’d been over. Abby had run up to him with a squeal of “Jared!” and had proceeded to tug him into the living room where she’d set up her dolls. He gladly entertained the girl until dinner was ready.

The family gathered around a large dining table, passing platters and bowls around, talking and laughing, and sharing stories. Jensen had blushed deeply when his mother had told a story about when he was a toddler, he’d managed to get his diaper off and onto his head. Jared had laughed, but had nudged his boyfriend to be sure the older man wasn’t too upset about Jared hearing the story; he wasn’t. They shared what they were thankful for, and one of Jensen’s items was “the paramedic that saved my life then became my boyfriend” while Jared said he was thankful to be welcomed into such a large and loving family.

A couple of hours later, they joined Jared’s family for dinner. While being enveloped in a warm hug by Jared’s mother, Jensen mused that it was very different being the one meeting his boyfriend’s parents. But just as he knew his family would love Jared, Jared’s family seemed to love him, and his nerves quickly melted away. Jared’s family was just as large as his own. Instead of being intimidating, it felt comforting to be around so many people.

While Jensen got to know his siblings and their families, Jared wandered into the kitchen where his mother was putting the final touches on some of the dishes. He snagged a small piece of turkey from the platter where she’d arranged the meat, already carved, and leaned against the island. His family didn’t pass around dishes at a large table like Jensen’s family had. The bird was already carved and the slices were arranged on a plate, and when his mother announced dinner was ready, they’d all file into the kitchen, fill their plates, and find different places to sit together and talk.

Jared wondered what kinds of traditions he and Jensen would adopt if their relationship ever made it that far.

“Anything I can help with, Mama?” he asked, grinning so wide his dimples showed when she gave him a warning look for his snacking.

At his grin, her expression softened and she smiled fondly as she arranged warm dinner rolls on a platter. “No, I think that’s everything. Why aren’t you out there with Jensen? He seems nice, by the way.”

“I’m avoiding the inevitable embarrassing stories of my childhood that Jeff and Megan are likely to come up with,” he said.

“Oh, don’t worry about them,” Sherri assured. Then, after a beat, she added, “Your father and I have that covered later.”

Jared scowled then pushed away from the counter to open the fridge to pull out two water bottles which filled the entire top shelf; Sherri Padalecki was nothing if not prepared. Then his eye caught on pie pan on the bottom shelf, covered with a clear plastic lid and his heart lurched when he recognized what kind that was.

Jeff’s favorite peanut butter pie.

“Mama,” Jared said warily, shifting to one side so his mother could see when he gestured to the pie. “What’s that?”

“That’s Jeff’s-”

“No, I know _what_ it is,” Jared interrupted, shaking his head. “What I meant is _why_? You _can’t_! Jensen’s-”

“Allergic,” Sherri finished, interrupting her son’s panicked rambling. “I know, honey; you told me a few weeks ago when you agreed to bring him for dinner. Don’t worry, sweetheart. I made it last after everything else and thoroughly cleaned the kitchen afterward, so there are no traces here to contaminate anything laid out now. And I have a spatula with a _red_ handle specifically for that pie and will tell everyone that it’s _only_ for that pie.”

Jared stayed quiet for a moment as he took in what she said, then shook his head as he pushed the fridge closed. “I better go be sure he has his EpiPen just in case,” he said as he hurried from the room, abandoning the water bottles on the counter on his way out.

As he approached where his boyfriend sat with his siblings, his worry gave way to affection at the way Jensen grinned at whatever Megan was saying, clearly engrossed in what was clearly some kind of story by the way she gestured wildly with her hands.

“Hey, Jen?” he said quietly, hating to interrupt.

“What’s up, Jay?” Jensen asked as he stood and crossed to the younger man, his hands coming up to trace up and down Jared’s arms in a soothing gesture.

“Did you, um… Did you bring your EpiPen?” Jared asked, his eyes flicking down to the bracelet on Jensen’s wrist, always present even in what _should_ be a safe, nut-free setting.

“Of course. I always have two in my bag,” Jensen assured, nodding to where his bag hung from the coat rack over his own jacket. “Jay, what’s the matter?”

“Mama made Jeff’s favorite peanut butter pie,” Jared said in a rush. “She said she made it last, after everything else, and cleaned thoroughly before setting up dinner, and she says she has a spatula just for that one, but I can’t help thinking of that afternoon we met, and if that happens _here_ -”

“Jared, Jared, calm down,” Jensen murmured, trailing his hands down to grasp his boyfriend’s hands and giving a grounding squeeze then leading him over to their jackets where he dug into his bag and pulled out the kit containing two fresh EpiPens. “See? Two of them. And now you know exactly where they are in my bag. But it sounds like she took all the necessary precautions, and as long as no one uses that spatula for anything else, nothing will happen.”

Jared swallowed down the nausea caused by worrying so much, and nodded, watching exactly where Jensen put the kit. “Okay,” he said on a cleansing exhale.

“Come on, let’s just go sit and talk,” Jensen said, leading him back into the living room. “Try not to worry.”

Somehow, that was all it took to ease Jared’s worries. They sat with Jeff and Megan until Sherri announced dinner was ready. Everyone filed through the kitchen, filling their plates, then sat in various places in the kitchen, dining room, and living room. The children had been set up at a small table in the living room where they could watch cartoons as they ate, and Megan and her husband settled there to keep an eye on them all.

Their second dinner of the day was just as good as the first, and when everyone was finished, Jared and Jensen helped Jared’s parents put away the remains despite Sherri’s insistence that they didn’t need to help. When the counter had been wiped down, she pulled out three different pies – Jeff’s peanut butter pie with the red-handled spatula, a pumpkin, and a pecan, all three of which Sherri cut (cutting the peanut butter last) herself. Jared explained that they didn’t serve dessert like they served dinner; whoever wanted some went and got it when they wanted because not everyone would want pie and not all at the same time. That’s why his mother pre-cut them into slices, so the children could easily take a piece, too.

While the adults gathered in the living room to talk, some of the children hurried into the kitchen for dessert. No one noticed how one of them became impatient with the others and used the red-handled spatula for the pumpkin before putting it back despite a warning from one of the older children that “Grandma Sherri said not to do that” which was promptly ignored. Then they all hurried back out, but no one bothered to alert any of the adults about what happened.

Jared and Jensen sat side-by-side on the couch, talking with Jared’s family for a little while before Jensen decided that pumpkin pie was calling his name. He asked if Jared wanted any and when his boyfriend declined for now, he disappeared into the kitchen. When he returned, he’d already put a forkful into his mouth, humming appreciatively.

“This is very good,” he complimented as he settled beside Jared once more.

“Thank you, Jensen,” Sherri said with a proud smile. “I admit I don’t make the filling from scratch...”

“Couldn’t even tell,” Jensen assured her before putting another bite into his mouth.

They talked while he ate, but after a moment, Jared became aware of just how often his boyfriend was clearing his throat. He looked to the older man to see Jensen had set his plate on the coffee table, slice half-eaten, and was coughing into a closed fist while the other hand tugged at the collar of his shirt.

“Jen?” he called, shifting to face his boyfriend. Then he caught how Jensen’s breath wheezed with each inhale and exhale, and Jared’s training kicked in, knowing exactly what was happening.

“What’s going on?” Sherri asked as Jared got to his feet and rushed to the entry to retrieve Jensen’s EpiPen kit from his bag.

“Allergic reaction,” Jared said simply as he dropped to his knees in front of his boyfriend who had slumped against the back of the couch, struggling to pull in enough oxygen.

“How is that possible?” his mother asked, clearly confused; she’d been meticulous in her preparation for just this reason.

While Jared took the EpiPen in his fist and pulled off the blue top, his mother picked up the plate to inspect the pie Jensen had taken. She frowned in confusion when she noticed a small streak of peanut butter smeared on the crust’s edge, ending where the last bite had been cut off with Jensen’s fork. She turned to Jared just as the pen clicked and Jared began massaging the area.

“I think I know what happened,” she announced.

“Not now, Mama,” Jared gently dismissed, too focused on his boyfriend. “Someone please call an ambulance. Tell them someone’s had an allergic reaction and that epinephrine has been administered. There we go, Jen,” he soothed as Jensen took in a couple deep breaths as his airways cleared. Jared replaced the cap and set the used pen on the case to be disposed of later, slipping the second into his hand just in case.

“I’m on it,” Gerry announced, fishing his cell from his pocket.

Jensen coughed a couple times and moaned faintly in discomfort as the shaking started. “Jay,” he croaked.

“You’re alright,” Jared soothed, sitting up on his knees to run his hands up and down Jensen’s arms in a calming gesture.

Sherri corralled the children into the kitchen and away from the action, clearing a safe path for the paramedics to reach Jensen. While she had the children captive, she questioned them on _how_ the peanut butter had gotten anywhere near the pumpkin. When the child that had done it confessed, she patiently explained that Jensen’s reaction just then was _why_ she’d told them not to use the red spatula for anything other than the peanut butter pie.

When the paramedics arrived, Jared was pleased to see Gen on the team that had been dispatched, paired with Rob who had been a paramedic for twenty years. Jared backed away to give them room, mentally running through the process and logging the results of Gen’s check and Jensen’s answers. When it was deemed safe for him to do so, Jared helped his boyfriend up, throwing a command over his shoulder for Gen to gather Jensen’s kit and snag his messenger bag on the way out.

“You riding along?” Gen asked from where she stood on the street as Jared helped Jensen in, unsure if she’d need to move to let Jared out or hop in after him. When he nodded in the affirmative, she hopped in behind him and Rob shut the doors behind her before climbing into the cab.

Jensen made a noise of discomfort and Jared grasped his hand in one of his, using the other to push his fingers through Jensen’s hair. “Shaking still bothering you?”

Jensen nodded then smiled tiredly up at him; if Jared weren’t mistaking, he could swear he saw pride in that smile. “You did good, Jay,” Jensen praised. “I know it scares you to know this could happen any time, but you know what you’re doing. You recognized it and got my pen.”

Jared smiled sheepishly and ducked his head. “Yeah, I suppose it doesn’t scare me so much anymore. I’m trained for this stuff. It’s just… with you, it’s different.”

“Look at me, Jared,” Jensen said softly, squeezing his boyfriend’s hand. When Jared finally met his eyes, he brought their joined hands to his mouth to kiss Jared’s knuckles. “Nothing is going to happen to me. Not as long as I have you.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Jared promised.

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Jensen said, grinning wider. “Look in my bag. The same pocket where my kit goes.”

Jared frowned in apparent confusion as he reached over for Jensen’s bag and dug into the little compartment. He felt the kit with the one unused EpiPen, the other small bag Jensen put used ones into for disposal, and… a box? Brows furrowing, he pulled out the object, growing even more confused when it turned out to be a small, flat rectangular box used for gift cards with something rattling inside.

“Open it,” Jensen urged.

Jared gave his boyfriend another confused look before pulling the lid off the box. “A key?” he asked, glancing at the older man for clarification.

“The spare key to my house,” Jensen explained. “I was going to give it to you sometime today; just never had a solid plan for _when_ exactly. Never thought I’d be asking in an ambulance after an allergic reaction… But move in with me, Jared? I’m happier when you’re around, and we stay there more than your apartment anyway.”

Jared grinned so widely his dimples showed as he leaned down to kiss his boyfriend soundly.

“Definitely,” he said.

__

_Ten months later…_

Jared adjusted his tie again, frowning at his reflection. Jensen had said he wanted to take his boyfriend out to dinner. Going out with Jensen no longer made Jared nervous – they’d been out to dinner several times since Thanksgiving and Jared’s realization that he was capable of handling Jensen’s allergies should a reaction occur – but the professor had been cryptic about _why_ he wanted to take Jared out. As far as the younger man knew, they weren’t celebrating anything – their anniversary had been the month prior and neither had reached any significant career achievements.

“Jay,” Jensen sighed as he wound his arms around the taller man’s waist. “Will you stop looking like you’re headed for your death? I swear tonight is a _good_ thing. I’m not breaking up with you or anything if that’s what you’re scared about.”

Jared leaned back into Jensen, dropping his hands from his tie to gently grasp the other man’s arms, fingering the medical alert bracelet on Jensen’s wrist that now bore Jared’s name as the emergency contact. “I wasn’t worried about you leaving me,” he protested.

Jensen pressed a kiss into his neck, making Jared sigh as he tipped his head to the side to allow Jensen access. “Good,” the older man murmured into his skin before pulling away. “Then let’s get going?”

Halfway into the drive, Jared realized they were going to one of his favorite restaurants. But it wasn’t his birthday – that had been in July. Nothing out of the ordinary gave him any clues as to what his boyfriend was thinking. His confusion grew further when they didn’t have to wait for a table like usual and were led to a semi-secluded table for two. They ordered drinks and appetizers as usual, Jensen giving the same warning for his allergies as always. When Jensen excused himself to go to the bathroom before their drinks had even arrived, Jared _knew_ something was going on because they hadn’t yet _consumed_ anything.

After Jensen’s return and the arrival of the drinks, they continued looking over the menu to decide what to order for dinner, talking about the food they knew they liked and other mundane things. The entire time, Jared kept glancing at his boyfriend, wary about the strange evening. Busy perusing his menu, he didn’t pay much attention when the waitress returned and set something on the table, assuming it was the appetizers they’d ordered. It wasn’t until she walked away and Jensen called his name that he looked up again, and his eyes widened.

Jensen had set his menu aside and sitting in the center of the table sat a small silver platter. The platter contained nothing but two of his favorite flowers, crossed at the stems. Where the stems crossed rested a ring; clearly not a feminine ring so it couldn’t be there by accident – well, it _could_ , Jared reasoned, but the nervous expression on his boyfriend’s face told him it was meant to be there. Looking closer at the ring, Jared noticed there were no stones, and it was silver in color. Engraved around it was an ECG pattern, the line curving into a heart in the middle.

“It’s stainless steel,” Jensen murmured as he plucked the ring from the tray and slipped down to one knee beside Jared’s chair. “So it could stand up to anything you might come across at work. You know, if you said yes.” He cleared his throat and held the ring between the fingers of one hand while the other grasped one of Jared’s. “Jared, thirteen months ago, I met the man of my dreams: a handsome paramedic that saved my life. Every day since then, you’ve taken my breath away – in a better way than my allergies do,” he added with a nervous chuckle. “I trust my life in your hands, and I want to spend the rest of it with you. Will you marry me?”

Jared swallowed back the lump in his throat and nodded eagerly, a sob escaping him despite the grin on his face as Jensen slipped the ring onto his finger. He still clutched Jensen’s hand but threw his free arm around the other man’s neck as Jensen leaned up to kiss him. Dimly aware of the few nearby tables clapping for them, Jared kept it short and polite before pulling back enough to gaze into Jensen’s eyes.

“Thank you for saving my life,” Jensen murmured.

“Always,” Jared promised.


End file.
